2018 Thesis Paper Submission

	A	B	C	D	E	F	G
1	Timestamp	What is your name?	What is your e-mail address?	What is your thesis statement?	What is your backup thesis statement in case your previous submission is unacceptable?	What period are you in?	Polazzo's Take

2	12/14/2018 18:12:18	Chaewon Park	cpark2@stuy.edu	DACA is constitutional.	Naturalized citizens should be able to run for presidency.	Period 7	The DACA topic is good--make sure to focus on the degree to which the executive can choose not to enforce an existing law.
3	12/17/2018 16:04:08	Beaux Watwood	swatwood@stuy.edu	The justices of the Supreme Court should rule by constitutional originalism because the use of expansion interpretivism weakens the democratic process.	Affirmative action violates the fourteenth amendment, which intends to protect against racial discrimination, but to overrule Bakke in the Harvard case would be a regressive step for integration.	Period 8	The originalism topic is good--approved!
4	12/17/2018 21:01:36	James Huang	jhuang20@stuy.edu	the us government is perpetuating america's divides through purposely underfunding and destroying important local government projects through the nature of bureaucracy and public policy that relies on compromise	the federal government's fear of enacting meaningful climate and environmental legislation results from it trying to pander to a populace that does not know better	Period 7	These are very specific theses that you are advocating for. To prove them, you are going to have to get quite granular. See me.
5	12/17/2018 23:28:09	Chloe Hanson	chanson@stuy.edu	Free speech should be limited for individuals with extreme views that are harmful to the existence of others. (Basically, punching Nazis should be an Okay thing to do, legally).	There should be federal protections for whistleblowers. (People like Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden, etc)	Period 7	The free speech (or lack thereof) argument will be interesting! Approved.
6	12/18/2018 11:43:33	William Wang	william.wang@stuysu.org	Judicial review is democratic.	Justices should not be able to serve lifelong terms.	Period 7	The judicial review topic is interesting since arguably one of the main features of judicial review is its lack of democracy. And if it is democratic, why filter it through the courts? Probably approved, but see me.
7	12/18/2018 21:51:51	Wei Zou	wzou1@stuy.edu	The federal government should prioritize the development of our nation's nuclear energy infrastructure as a matter of national security, therefore reducing our dependence on imported oil and undue foreign influences on our government policies.	The election of public officials has become increasingly dependent on public image, at the detriment of their actual policies and ideas. Much of this is a result of the influence of the news media. The federal government should be able to regulate the rights and privileges of the news media in covering elections in order to ensure a a fair and democratic election where actual topics of merit are discussed.	Period 7	The nuclear power topic is approved. Note however that thanks to fracking and shale gas the USA has recently become an exporter of energy.
8	12/19/2018 0:12:31	Anand Idris	aidris@stuy.edu	The United States cannot create a large social safety net without disappointing the intentions of the Founding Fathers.	The wishes of the Founding Fathers should not hold back popular American government proposals.	Period 7	Haven't we already created a large social safety net? To what degree are you arguing agains the status quo here? Probably approved, but see me.
9	12/19/2018 17:03:19	Hristo Karastoyanov	hkarastoyanov@stuy.edu	The only way to sustain liberal democracy (save for some major, palpable external threat) in the United States is to divide the country into two or more smaller, ideologically homogeneous ones.	All schools should be nationalised.	Period 8	Both topics are good--though perhaps hard to squeeze into the space constraints. Approved.
10	12/19/2018 18:25:15	Robert Nava	rnavapinos@stuy.edu	De Blasio's attempt to reduce the number of Asian-American students in the Discovery Program is unconstitutional	Animals shouldn't be used in scientific testing	Period 8	Though the De Blasio article is a local governance issue, I'll approve it since it gets iinto federal equal protection law.
11	12/19/2018 20:17:22	Aiswariya Suresh	asuresh@stuy.edu	The legislative branch should create another immigration law that considers the increasing number of illegal immigrants, reinstatement of DACA, and return of the quota system (with improvements).	The process of plea bargaining should be made more strict to avoid convicts taking advantage of the more lenient sentences.	Period 8	The immigration bill topic is interesting--worth noting that with the passage of a law, DACA would no longer be necessary. Approved.
12	12/19/2018 20:59:23	Samantha Adrianzen	sadrianzen@stuy.edu	Considering that residential aliens live and work in the United States, they should be allowed to vote.	The government should not be influenced by food/nutrition monopsonies (specifically, Monsanto) and even ban them.	Period 8	The alien topic is good. Regarding Monsanto, I'm not sure it makes sense to regard it as a monoposony?
13	12/19/2018 22:02:32	Nishmi Abeyweera	nishmiabeyweera22@gmail.com	A direct popular vote should replace the electoral college in presidential elections.	The Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) should be repealed as it disturbs the balance of power in the government.	Period 7	Both topics are good. Approved!
14	12/19/2018 22:06:22	Leo Fleissig	leofleissig@gmail.com	The nondelegation doctrine should be enforced in US law.	The filibuster should be abolished.	Period 7	The nondelegation topic is a interesting one and, if enforced, would definitely shatter the status quo. Approved.
15	12/20/2018 2:02:51	Michelle Yang	myang5@stuy.edu	The diversity visa lottery is flawed because it poorly allocates 50,000 immigrant visas; it falls short in attracting immigrants based on merit--education, job skills, and the ability to integrate into U.S. society--by allocating a great proportion of visas to applicants on the basis of their nationality.	Birthright citizenship was originally intended to grant citizenship to African-American. Since then, however, the purpose of birthright citizenship has changed, and consequently, it is important to restrict birthright citizenship in order to alleviate the illegal immigration problem.	Period 8	Both topics are fine, though I assume your point about the diversity lottery will include a call for a new type of system? Or at tleast the advocacy for the abolition of the old system?
16	12/20/2018 18:11:30	Geena Kim	gkim90@stuy.edu	Reporters should have the right to protect the identity of confidential sources.	The illegal use of drugs should to be treated as a matter of public health, not of criminal justice.	Period 8	The shield law topic is good. Approved!
17	12/20/2018 18:25:50	Boxuan Wu	bwu3@stuy.edu	To fix our current illegal immigration problem, the government must first maximize security in our boarders. Deportation is not the solution.	The U.S government must address America’s growing income inequality crisis.	Period 7	The immigration thesis is good. Note that it is "borders," not "boarders"
18	12/20/2018 19:07:06	William Chen	wchen15@stuy.edu	Net neutrality regulations are necessary to preserve our First Amendment rights and to prevent ISP from speeding, slowing, or charging higher fees in order to censor online content.	Universal healthcare should not be a necessity.	Period 7	The net neutrality topic is approved.
19	12/20/2018 19:17:46	Woosuk Lee	wlee10@stuy.edu	Religion should be completely separate from the government.	Free healthcare should be provided for American citizens and residents.	Period 7	The religion topic is approved.
20	12/20/2018 20:04:10	Jeremy Rubin	jrubin@stuy.edu	The number of cabinet positions should be reduced to create a core group of advisors for the president. The remaining departments instead should be solely headed by bureaucrats who last longer than a single presidency.	Earmarks are a necessary part of the House of Representatives and should be brought back into practice.	Period 7	The cabinet topic is approved.
21	12/20/2018 20:32:08	Kathryn Jano	kjano@stuy.edu	In Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, the Supreme Court should have sided with the Colorado Civil Rights Commission to bolster the Obergefell v. Hodges decision and set the precedent of protecting others from clear discrimination.	Executive privilege should be restricted to ensure that Presidents do not abuse their power.	Period 8	The cakeshop thesis is good.
22	12/20/2018 20:35:14	Ivan Galakhov	igalakhov00@stuy.edu	Establishing free healthcare within the United States would be detrimental to the well being of the country.	Plea bargains should not be allowed in cases that potentially end in punishment longer than some set amount of time. (I don't really have a good backup)	Period 8	The healthcare topic is approved.
23	12/20/2018 20:44:35	Vivian Lu	vlu@stuy.edu	Felons should not be denied SNAP benefits.	Private prisons need more oversight.	Period 8	The SNAP topic sounds interesting. Approved!
24	12/20/2018 21:58:03	Ally Archer	aarcher@stuy.edu	To deter Supreme Court justice nominations from being based on the amount of time someone will spend on the court rather than their qualifications, there should be an age minimum requirement.	Courts should not be able to request that cell phone manufacturers unlock cell phones to assist in criminal investigations and prosecutions.	Period 8	The age requirment topic is good. Aproved!
25	12/20/2018 22:08:11	Chloe Doumar	cdoumar@stuy.edu	The US Federal Government should not be allowed to interfere with state's rights to legalize marijuana by trying to use federal laws to interfere with legal marijuana businesses.	The electoral college is antiquated and should be replaced by direct election by popular vote.	Period 8	The marijuana topic is approved.
26	12/20/2018 22:09:36	Ruby Gary	rfbgary@gmail.com	The simultaneous constitutionality and criminality of jury nullification undermines the will of the jury. Jurors should be provided the protection to legally wield it, as it provides the average citizen the power to combat unjust laws.	Private funding should be eradicated from all political campaigns. Instead, each candidate should run on a standardized, publicly funded budget.	Period 8	The nullification topic sounds good. Approved.
27	12/20/2018 22:56:49	Allison Eng	allisoneng8@gmail.com	Arrests made from misdemeanors are discriminatory, violating the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment by hindering a suspect class of minorities.	Lethal injection violates the Eighth Amendment for being cruel and unusual punishment.	Period 7	For you to prove your thesis on arrests, you have to prove that tace is the determining factor If you can't do this, you might be better off with the lethal injection paper.
28	12/20/2018 22:58:48	Alec Bulkin	abulkin@stuy.edu	The most effective way to address most current and future problems facing the nation would be for the US Government to increase spending on public education.	Providing funding for a wall on the Mexico-United States border would not effectively address immigration issues in the region.	Period 7	The education topic sounds good, but note that there seems to be little correlation between money spent on education and actual outcomes.
29	12/20/2018 23:21:52	Kevin Zhang	kzhang9@stuy.edu	The federal government should increase its investments in public transportation projects, as a means of promoting social welfare and economic growth.	The federal government should expand its subsidies toward affordable housing.	Period 8	The transit topic sounds good--though how do you ensure that the money isn't all gobbled up by corrupt insiders?
30	12/20/2018 23:25:24	Colin Hosking	chosking@stuy.edu	The motives behind President Trump’s attempt to repeal jus soli should taken seriously.	The speaker of the house should include members of both parties in their election.	Period 7	The jus soli argument sounds intruiging. Thesis approved!
31	12/21/2018 0:57:13	Gaby Umanova	gumanova2001@gmail.com	Voting should be mandatory in the United States	Higher education institutions should become funded by the government and tuition fees should be waived.	Period 7	The mandatory voting thesis is approved!
32	12/21/2018 1:10:44	Aidan Griffin	agriffin@stuy.edu	Progressivism has historically not only been about a dogmatic, collectivist belief in the supremacy of the state above the individual, but also has strong roots to beliefs in eugenics and racism, consistent with its demonization of individual rights, while proponents of conservatism have consistently stressed the importance of the individual above that of the state and consequently have regarded every race as equally as worthy as any other. (Sorry if this is too long.)	In most circumstances, income inequality is a natural, beneficial outcome of a free market-based society.	Period 7	I think you're better off going for the second thesis topic.
33	12/21/2018 10:53:39	Jorge Sebastian Vergara	jvergara@stuy.edu	Taxation, in both the federal and state level, particularly regressive and flat taxes (such as state property taxes or sales taxes where the costs, instead of falling on retailers and landlords, fall unduly hard on the poor who pay the extra tax on behalf of retailers and landlords, similarly in the case of federal payroll taxes which is capped), is a violation of free association, since one may not opt out nor decide where their taxes go. As such, all these taxes ought to abolished, at least in the case of the bottom 50% of Americans.	Copyright law and intellectual property violates free enterprise, hinders innovation, and contributes to the growth of monopolies being upheld by the state. It should be eliminated. Alternative: Borders are already generally open, but in the wrong sense. It is relatively easy for corporate entities to legally cross borders, and exploit human and natural resources (leading to the deprivation that causes people to want to move) but not actual people. Border policy should be changed to actual open borders in order to protect the right to free migration.	Period 7	The tax topic sounds fruitful. Approved!
34	12/21/2018 12:12:49	Sophia Atlas	satlasruggirello@stuy.edu	The food stamp program (SNAP) needs to be reformed/minimized for several reasons (fraud, obesity, government expenditures, work requirements).	The minimum wage should be lowered (youth minimum wage should be expanded).	Period 8	I'm interested to see what you recommend for the SNAP program. Approved.
35	12/21/2018 12:39:45	Angela Peng	apeng2@stuy.edu	The US should establish a universal basic income in the form of a national social wealth fund that every citizen receives a share of.	The US should lower the federal voting age to 16.	Period 8	The UBI topic sounds good. Approved.
36	12/21/2018 12:55:31	Britni Canale	bcanale@stuy.edu	Polarizing political parties have made it too difficult to make decisions and pass legislation in our government.	Immigration and foreign policy issues should be deemphasized in the public sphere and the borders should remain closed until the US government can resolve domestic issues like unemployment and poverty.	Period 7	The party topic is approved--though to what extent does existing party polarization simply reflect an increasingly divided USA?
37	12/21/2018 13:45:16	Dushan Arsov	darsov@stuy.edu	The power to appoint justices to the Supreme Court should be moved from the president to an unelected commission of judges and other legal experts.	Mandatory military or civil service should be instated in the United States.	Period 7	The SC topic is approved.
38	12/21/2018 13:51:51	Ethan Park	epark@stuy.edu	Election Day should be made a national holiday.	Voting should be mandatory.	Period 8	The election day topic sounds good--do you want to combine it with the mandatory voting idea? Approved.
39	12/21/2018 15:04:51	Olivia He	Ohe@stuy.edu	The U.S. government should regulate prisons and buy out privatized systems.	The U.S. government should increase its quota of H-1B visas.	Period 7	The private prison topic is approved.
40	12/21/2018 18:04:51	Nisan Yevdaev	nyevdaev@stuy.edu	The current system of nominating and selecting presidential candidates should be replaced by one where moral character and experience play a larger role than the campaigns (stricter qualifications for who can run and less of an emphasis on the campaign/decreasing time to campaign).	Plea bargains should be standardized into a form of code law where each crime corresponds to a specific reduction in punishment in order to prevent people from abusing or being abused by the system.	Period 8	The nomination topic sounds good--though who gets to determine what is and isn't immoral? Approved.
41	12/21/2018 18:19:52	En Yu Zhang	ezhang3@stuy.edu	Plea bargains should be eliminated.	Bureaucrats shouldn't be elected; the current system is as maintained.	Period 7	The plea bargain paper sounds interesting--though how could this be done without crashing the existing legal system?
42	12/21/2018 18:59:20	Maggie Zhao	mzhao3@stuy.edu	The clause in the Constitution regarding eminent domain should be reinterpreted and the terms made stricter by clarifying "just compensation" and mandating independent review boards for eminent domain claims.	The NSA should only be allowed to collect data on targeted individuals if they have a warrant; the bulk collection of metadata is unconstitutional. OR There should be stricter oversight over the NSA and its interactions with large companies that have the ability to collect vast amounts of private data of Americans (i.e Telecom, Google, etc.)	Period 8	The eminient domain topic is good. Approved.
43	12/21/2018 19:20:49	Kathleen Wong	kwong17@stuy.edu	Corporate personhood should be overturned.	Net neutrality should remain repealed.	Period 8	Corporate personhood is a good topic, but note that this is a right that goes beyond campaign spending--so long as you do your research your thesis is approved.
44	12/21/2018 20:10:40	Nicholas Chan	nchan1@stuy.edu	America should have a flat federal income tax instead of the progressive tax system in place today.	In Baker Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, the Supreme Court should have sided with the Colorado Civil Rights Commission. ALSO: Children of undocumented citizens born in the US should not be beneficiaries of birthright citizenship.	Period 8	The flat tax topic is approved.
45	12/21/2018 20:13:16	Hanna Gebremichael	hgebre-michael@stuy.edu	The President of the United States holds way too much power over the legislative and judicial branches in our government, and the power of the office is still continuing to grow.	Gun control laws in America have not been effective in keeping the people of this country safe, and the Second Amendment must be reinterpreted.	Period 7	The POTUS topic is approved, so long as you give specific suggestions on how his poiwer should be limited.
46	12/21/2018 20:17:00	Katie Wu	kwu11@stuy.edu	The Selective Service System should mandate registration from people of all sexes.	The U.S. government should implement carbon taxes.	Period 8	The selective service topic sounds interesting. Approved.
47	12/21/2018 20:33:42	Gordon Ebanks	gebanks00@stuy.edu	The Justices of the Supreme Court should apply an "evolving standard of decency" to their interpretation of the Constitution.	The manner in which Voter ID laws, and similar voter suppression laws, are applied violates the Equal Protection clause of the Constitution.	Period 7	The SC already uses the evolving standard ot decency for the 8th amendment's prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. I assume that you'd like to extend it to the entire constitution? If so, it's approved.
48	12/21/2018 20:44:23	Joshua Weiner	jweiner@stuy.edu	Felon disenfranchisement as it is practiced today - selectively by states - violates the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and disproportionately harms many communities in these states. Therefore, Section Two of the Fourteenth Amendment should be amended to outlaw the practice of felon disenfranchisement.	Beyond posing a detriment to US foreign interests, the increasing use of Private Military Contractors abroad allows for gaps in the ability of Congress to curtail the actions of the Executive Branch when it comes to the use of military force.	Period 7	The felon argument is a good one, but to prove an equal protection case, you have to assert that felons are suspect class--a pretty high bar to clear. Or you could argue that the racial imbalance in the nation's prison system is racist, but I'm not sure how that would impact felon voting? Approved--I'm interrested to see where you end up going.
49	12/21/2018 20:49:47	Ting Ting Chen	tingting1671@gmail.com	Presidential campaigns should not rely upon donors; the same budget should be given to all candidates for presidency.	Our government should enforce a nationwide pollution tax.	Period 8	The campaign topic is approved.
50	12/21/2018 21:17:25	Lucy Zhang	l.zhang2001@gmail.com	Affirmative action should be eliminated - It is unconstitutional and has adversely affected the minorities that it intended to help.	Supreme court justices should not be appointed for life.	Period 8	The AA topic is approved.
51	12/21/2018 22:24:00	Puneet Johal	pjohal@stuy.edu	The United States should implement a universal basic income program.	Sanctuary cities do not violate the law and should receive federal funding. Or, the US government should subsidize renewable energy.	Period 8	The UBI topic is approved.
52	12/21/2018 22:29:34	Crystal Wang	cwang4@stuy.edu	Under the standard of originalism, the modern Congress oversteps its legislative authority.	The two-party political system is inherently limiting in a way that is impeding our democracy and should be replaced by a multi-party system.	Period 7	The originalism topic is approved.
53	12/21/2018 23:05:51	Alexa Kong	akong3@stuy.edu	The American voting system, as it currently stands, does not promote the democratic society we stand for and is severely flawed.	It should be easier to fire government workers.	Period 8	The voting topic is approved so long as you suggest what sort of system should be put in its place.
54	12/21/2018 23:09:40	Mandy	mchan11@stuy.edu	The subjectivity of cash bail violates equality before the law and therefore it should be eliminated.	All religious memorabilia should be banned on all public and government property.	Period 8	By subjectivity, you mean that some can afford it and some cannot? Or do you mean that different judges ask for different amounts of bail? The topic is approved, but you have to clear up what you mean.
55	12/21/2018 23:16:34	Jennifer Liu	jliu18@stuy.edu	The First Step Act in criminal justice reform should be trickled down to state prisons as well.	Non-partisan groups should oversee congressional redistricting to combat gerrymandering efforts.	Period 7	The First Step topic is approved.
56	12/21/2018 23:24:04	Malcolm Hubbell	mhubbell@stuy.edu	The prison bail system is broken; it can lead to endless cycles of debt and incarceration for the financially disadvantaged	Mandatory minimums constitute cruel and unusual punishment	Period 8	The bail topic is approved, but you should suggest how it should be improved.
57	12/21/2018 23:39:43	Axel Tolpina	atolpina@stuy.edu	Patriot Act should be repealed and privacy rights should be strengthened.	Instead of the forced insurance company intermediaries brought by Obamacare and other actions by the government and private companies, we should switch to a free market system of healthcare.	Period 8	Both topics are fine--note that there' a lot in the Patriot Act. Would you repeal roving wiretaps in this era of burner phones? Approved.
58	12/21/2018 23:52:29	Justin Wang	jwang19@stuy.edu	There should be a ban on the use of solitary confinement on juvenile delinquents.	Guantanamo Bay prison should remain open as it is a necessary safeguard to protect American citizens against foreign threats.	Period 7	As far as I know, there is already a federal ban on solitary confinement for juveniles. I think the Gitmo topc would be more interesting.
59	12/21/2018 23:59:22	Kevin Chan	kchan9@stuy.edu	Voting should be made a mandatory requirement of American citizenship.	As it currently stands, the process of amending our Constitution has been made overly difficult and should be reformed.	Period 8	The mandatory voting thesis is approved!
60	12/22/2018 0:02:31	Hanah Jun	hjun@stuy.edu	The right to a clean and safe environment should be a fundamental human right that is added as an Amendment to the Constitution.	The government should be required to provide food, water, and shelter to the homeless as these are basic human rights.	Period 8	LATE: The environment topic sounds fine. Approved.
61	12/22/2018 0:27:39	Lennie	lma00@stuy.edu	Vaccinations should be required for all people living in the the United States, citizens, resident aliens, etc.	Felons should have the right to vote.	Period 7	LATE: The vaccination topic is approved.
62	12/22/2018 1:28:33	Jared Asch	jasch@stuy.edu	In order to maintain the power of the judicial branch and maintain stability in government, parties should not pack the courts.	An instant runoff voting system is more democratic than the electoral college or popular vote directly, and should replace the existing system.	Period 8	LATE: The court packing topic is approved.
63	12/22/2018 9:02:58	Michael Ye	mye1@stuy.edu	The government needs to cut its outsourcing of insurance administrative needs to private firms.	Civil forfeiture needs to be abolished.	Period 7	LATE: The administrative topic is approved.
64	12/22/2018 10:21:13	Danny Jiang	djiang1@stuy.edu	The Bakke holding barring universities from using racial quotas in their admissions process has inadvertently created quotas based on percentage of makeup rather than raw numbers; affirmative action violates equal protection more than it does to preserve it.	Supreme Court Justices should be appointed democratically in order to better reflect the nation’s views.	Period 8	LATE: The AA topic is approved.
65	12/22/2018 10:30:15	Eli Economou	eeconomou@stuy.edu	Identity politics can be a powerful source of voters for candidates, but may deter people from voting by their own beliefs.	Government shutdowns should include blocking salaries toward congress and the senate.	Period 7	LATE: The identity politics topic is approved.
66	12/22/2018 14:25:38	Dylan Kim	dkim8@stuy.edu	The 22nd Amendment should be revoked.	Birthright citizenship should not apply to illegal entries into the U.S.	Period 7	LATE: The 22nd amendment topic is approved.
67	12/22/2018 14:56:01	Peter Jin	pjin1@stuy.edu	While generally seen as a failure of government, government shutdowns can and are sometimes used as leverage in political disputes.	Presidents should be able to serve more than two terms.	Period 7	LATE: Your government shutdown topic is approved if you are arguing that shutdowns are an approprate negotiating topic.
68	1/6/2019 23:49:51	Melissa Hinckley	mkhinckley@gmail.com	Tax exemptions for religious organizations and places of worship should be legal in order to maintain a founding principle of America: the separation between church and state.	Assisted suicide should be legalized.	Period 8
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