Pepperdine Policy Review

Our Mission

The Pepperdine Policy Review is a student-run journal that showcases the best scholarly work of School of Public Policy students at Pepperdine University. It features articles, commentaries, opinion pieces, and book reviews that address a variety of issues from health care and national security to political philosophy.

The mission of the Pepperdine Policy Review is to publish the best scholarly research, innovative policy solutions, and insightful commentary that School of Public Policy students have to offer. This journal seeks to inform policy makers, academic researchers, and the general public of ideas that will help transform public policy debate in the U.S. and abroad. All articles are thoroughly reviewed by student editors and must meet rigorous academic standards.

ISSN (print): 2158-2572
ISSN (online): 1946-7192

VOLUME IV - 2017

Articles

Reflecting Back on the Ebola Outbreak and the Future of Bioterrorism
Christian Pedersen

Blackwater USA: The Success and Failures of the Worlds Most Powerful Mercenary Army in the War on Terror
Marina Harden

Solving Human Trafficking Between Mexico and the United States
Alexandra Still

Putting Humpty Dumpty Back Together Again: Lessons Learned From State-Building in Iraq
Andrew F. Clark

The Feasibility of Road User Fees and Other Alternative Sources of Transportation Funding
Joshua R. Amberg

A Constitutional and Efficacious Analysis of Affirmative Action Policies
Jeff Longust

Book Review

Book Review of Philip K. Howard's "The Rule of Nobody: Saving America from Dead Laws and Broken Government"
Brittany K. Tayloe

VOLUME VIII - 2015

Articles

Decomposing the Wage Gap: Analysis of the Wage Gap Between Racial and Ethnic Minorities and Whites
Jennifer Kamara

The Expansion of Cooperative Threat Reduction programs: The case for a formalized agreement with Pakistan
Christian Pedersen

Unanswered Questions: Modernizing the US Nuclear Arsenal and Forces?
Todd C. Royal

Projecting Power In The Arctic: The Russian Scramble for Energy, Power, and Prestige In The High North
Shane C. Tayloe

The U.S. and Mexican Cooperation: The Merida Initiative and Beyond
Yasemin Tekin

Is Mexico the Emerging Leader of Latin America in Post-Carbon Politics?
Eddy Waty

Chile's Educational Reform: The Struggle Between Nationalization and Privatization
Vannia J. Zelaya

VOLUME VII - 2014

Message
Message from the Editor
Jordan Sandler

Articles
Nets or Vaccines: Malaria Vaccine Research
David Ernenwein

Much Ado about Cyber-space: Cyber-terrorism and the Reformation of the Cyber-security
Christian Pedersen

Agricultural Patenting: A Case Study of Monsanto
Shannon Moran

Federal v. State Effectiveness: An Analysis of the Endangered Species Act and Current Potential Attempts at Reform
Nicholas Primo

Rust-Belt Recovery: The Cleveland Model as Economic Development in an Age of Economic Stagnation and Climate Change
Ross Lenihan

The Impact of Clean Energy on Economic Growth: An Econometrics Approach
Cheng Zhang

The Minimum Wage and Teen Unemployment: A Study of the Effect of the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007
Alexander Pino

Symposium Article
James Q. Wilson and Public Policy Education
Adam Crepelle

VOLUME VI - 2013

Message
Message from the Editor
Amy Kennedy

Articles
A Global Blasphemy Law: Protecting Believers at the Expense of Free Speech
Kiley Widelitz

Can clean drinking water and sanitation reduce child mortality in Senegal?
Catherine Bampoky

Financial Openness and Growth: 2000-2010
Amy Kennedy

Mobile Health Technology in Developing Countries: The Case of Tanzania
Shruti Modi

No Music in Timbuktu: A Brief Analysis of the Conflict in Mali and Al Qaeda's Rebirth
Nicholas Primo

Oil Sands Extraction: Lessons From Alberta Can, and Should, Inform American Policies
Victoria Lopez

Preparing for the Inevitable: US Climate Change Preparation
David Ernenwein

Regulation of Hydraulic Fracturing of Shale Gas Formations in the United States
Fatemeh Bagheri

The Korean Conflict and the United States National Security
Matthew Smith

The Rising Digital Missile Gap: the Security Threat of the United States' Cyber Inactivity
Christian Pedersen

The Role of Health Care in a Democratic Capitalist Society
Barbi Appelquist

VOLUME V - 2012

Download the full Volume V of the Pepperdine Policy Review in Adobe Acrobat.

Message
Message from the Editors
Micahel Crouch and Michele Ogawa

Articles
Egypt Wrestles with Democracy: Expectations versus Realities
Melody Harvey

United States Strategy in Afghanistan from 2001 to Today
Haley Stauss

Providing Aid to Fragile or Failed States: A Short Argument for Moderation
Anthony H. Miller

The Crisis of America's Soul: How American Leaders Have Betrayed First Principles
Amy L. Kennedy

Stephen Colbert's Super PAC: A Better Tomorrow?
Shannon K. Anderson

"It's all Political, but Public Policy is Irrational"
Jaquelyn King

Citizens' Jury 2011: Combating Homelessness within the Greater Los Angeles County
Lara Arsinian

Are All R&D Dollars Created Equal?: A Look at the Effect of Federal Investment on Patent Success
Casey J. O'Neil

Estimating the Impact of Cell Phone Laws on Car Accident Fatalities
Odinakachi Anyanwu

Commentary
A Memo on Social Security
Michele Ogawa

Book Review
Memoirs of a Paleo
Tulio S. de Oliveira

VOLUME IV - 2011

Download the full Volume IV of the Pepperdine Policy Review in Adobe Acrobat.

Message
Message from the Editor
Alexander N. Fondrier

Student Articles
The Political and Economic Implications of the Asian Carp
Thomas Just

Given the Choice: Family Values in California's Largest School Districts
Raija Churchill

The Merida Initiative: An Effective Way of Reducing Violence in Mexico?
Sabrina Abu-Hamdeh

The Impact of the Global Financial Crisis on Sub-Saharan Africa
Odinakachi J. Anyanwu

The HOPE Worldwide Indonesia Positive-Choice Program
Jillian Kissee

Bilingual, ESL, and English Immersion: Educational Models for Limited English Proficient Students in Texas
Kelly Faltis

Here and Back Again: US National Security Interest in the Arab/Israeli Conflict
Miriam Keim

Commentary
Unions Matter
John S. Thomas

Book Review
Against Gloom and Doom
Michael Crouch

VOLUME III - 2010

Download the full Volume III of the Pepperdine Policy Review in Adobe Acrobat.

Message
Message from the Editor
Nicole Hutchinson

Student Articles
The Honduran Question: The U.S. Answer to Latin America
Lindsay Young

Terrorism and Game Theory: From the Terrorists' Point of View
Kevin Chlebik

The Rise of Russia and the National Security Implications for the United States
Matthew Saha

Alumni Articles
The Policy Debate Over the Bailout Plan
Kevin Simons

Symposium Articles
The Bush-Obama Stimulus Programs and the Future of American Capitalism
Dr. Randall Holcombe

The Future of Regulation
Dr. Jerry Ellig

Latin America and the Financial Crisis of 2008: Lessons and Challenges
Dr. Luisa Blanco

VOLUME II - 2009

Download the full Volume II of the Pepperdine Policy Review in Adobe Acrobat.

Message
Message from the Editor
Nicolas Valbuena

Articles
Beyond Greenspan
Rich Danker

Why Does the U.S. Military Have Chaplains?
Hans Zieger

Does Microcredit Facilitate Socioeconomic Development? A Case Study on the Grameen Bank and Proposition for Impact Assessment
Arundhati Pal

The Domestic Causes and International Consequences of the US Government's Sugar Price Support Programs
Shannon Anderson

"Peace at Home, Peace in the World": The Rise and Role of Nationalism in Turkish Political Life
Morgan Beach

Alumni Feature
Republican Agonistes
Troy Senik

VOLUME I - 2008

Download the full Volume I of the Pepperdine Policy Review in Adobe Acrobat.

Message
Message from the Editor
Matthew C. Piccolo

Articles
Educating Citizens: Have We Kept the Founders' Ideals for Higher Education?
Hans Zeiger

Is Going Yellow Really Going Green? A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Ethanol Production in America
Michelle Isenhouer

Mental Health Care in India: Prescribing the Right Policy
Kimberly Meltzer

Going All In: The Gamble of Globalization & European Economic Integration
Lauren S. Koffs

Alumni Feature
Standing Up for Charity: A Book Review of "Who Really Cares" by Arthur C. Brooks
Alumnus Jeffrey M. Jones of the Hoover Institution

Commentary
Poking the Russian Bear: The European Missile Defense Shield
Jeremy Anderson

Corporate Environmentalists: Green Business Strategy
Danielle Bersen

Barack Obama: Same Story, New Character
Jonathan Freinberg

All volumes of Pepperdine Policy Review may also be viewed and downloaded through the Pepperdine Libraries Digital Commons repository.

Articles published in Pepperdine Policy Review do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or the School of Public Policy. The journal is published annually and accepts submissions from current students and alumni of the School of Public Policy.