Message from the Editor, Nicolas Valbuena

We are in the midst of change - America‘s historic election of the first
African-American President, California‘s gravest and most prolonged
budget crisis, and the federal government‘s first multi-billion dollar bailout.
The study of the United States‘ political landscape and dynamic public
policy has never been so complicated yet so exciting.

This year‘s edition highlights great work from some of the School of Public
Policy‘s (SPP) most prominent students. A scholarly article penned by Hans
Zeiger debates the arguments in favor and against the Army‘s chaplaincy
program. Joint MBA and Public Policy student Rich Danker suggests lessons
to be learned from Greenspan‘s acclaimed yet turbulent legacy as Fed
Chairman. Arun Pal meshes personal experiences with rigorous research to
explore microcredit as a viable method of improving conditions in Bangladesh.
SPP first years Shannon Anderson and Morgan Beach also write very
compelling articles - an economic analysis of the US support of the sugar
industry and a presentation of cultural issues in modern-day Turkey, respectively.
Finally, SPP alum and former speechwriter for President George W. Bush Troy Senik writes about how the Republican Party can survive recent setbacks and come out ahead.

The second edition of the Pepperdine Policy Review has been a challenging
and rewarding endeavor which aims to further its legacy at the School of
Public Policy. The Review remains a publication relying upon and led by
Pepperdine‘s public policy students, and while we‘ve maintained the
individual feel that makes our journal unique, we‘ve also made significant
improvements to increase its rigor and standing among public policy
schools.

With the help of former Editor-in-Chief Matthew Piccolo, the Review
drafted and finalized a Charter of Bylaws that preserves the mission and
purpose of the journal, establishes a structure for administrative support
and ensures that the journal will endure long into the future. In addition,
we have registered the journal with the Library of Congress to attain a
unique ISSN designation, allowing for convenient and reliable referencing
of future publications.

This year‘s Editorial Board did a fantastic job reviewing, preparing and
perfecting each and every article for publication - this edition could not
have been accomplished without them. I would also like to express my
thanks to Matt Piccolo, for his efforts in enhancing the Pepperdine Policy
Review, and for remaining a friend of the journal long after his obligations
as head of the journal‘s inaugural issue had concluded. I would also like to
give special mention to the effort and zeal of editor Lindsay Young, who
pushed the mission of the journal even further with her creative mind.
Lastly, I would like to extend my best wishes to incoming Editor-in-Chief
Nicole Hutchinson, who I am confident will lead the journal to new heights
at the School of Public Policy.

Please enjoy the second edition of the Pepperdine Policy Review with my thanks,

Nicolas Valbuena
Editor-in-Chief