Month: September 2020

BYU College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Constitution Day Lecture Recap

On Thursday, September 17, 2020, in observance of Constitution Day, the College of Family, Home, and Social hosted its annual Constitution Day Lecture. This year’s lecture, “President Trump’s Immigration Policies: Are They Constitutional?” was presented by Dr. Anna O. Law. Law is the Herbert Kurz Chair in Constitutional Rights in the Department of Political Science at CUNY Brooklyn College. She is actively involved with research and publication on current political issues, most notably concerning gender and asylum for immigrants. She is the author of The Immigration Battle in American Courts and is currently working on a new book about slavery and immigration federalism. Law’s field of academic expertise lies at the intersect of public law and US immigration policy and history.

Law’s lecture began with an examination of how the Trump administration’s approach to immigration policy has differed from those of past administrations. She stated that the issue is an overwhelming “volume of lies” and an associated disregard for “the rule of law.” According to Law, this rule of law consists of the following:

  • A universal application of justice
  • Fair and consistent rules
  • Robust legal processes where protections of rights are enforced
  • A competent population of lawyers and judges

Law went on to examine both the constitutionality and the efficacy of Trump’s many policies concerning immigration, including the border wall and significant changes to the asylum application process. She also discussed how the administration is currently using the COVID-19 pandemic to justify even more restrictions on those seeking to enter the US through the southern border. Law pointed out flaws inboth the Trump and Obama administrations’ treatment of undocumented workers and proposes a more humane approach to immigration management. For her, a reformed immigration policy focuses on the following:

  • Pressuring employers of undocumented migrants
  • Securing employment verification
  • Increasing foreign aid
  • Dismantling the Department of Homeland Security
  • Implementing stricter gun reform laws

The College of Family, Home, and Social Science is grateful to Dr. Law for taking the time to speak and share her academic and professional insights on this complex and controversial issue. For those that were unable to attend the lecture, a recording is posted and available for viewing at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwmX2EweNj8

Baylie Duce

2020 American Family Survey Results To Be Released September 22nd

Are marriages more or less healthy because of the pandemic? How frequently have families protested and discussed Black Lives Matter? Are Americans satisfied with local, state and federal responses to the pandemic?

These are several questions taken from the 2020 American Family Survey, an annual nationwide poll with 3,000 respondents.  The study examines current trends in American family life and identifies how those trends relate to cultural and political issues.

The American Family Survey is designed by the Deseret News and the Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy at Brigham Young University and conducted by YouGov.

The 2020 survey will examine several topics including the presidential election, pandemic, and racial unrest and their affects on the family.

Now in its sixth year, the results of this year’s study will be released on Tuesday, September 22 at 11 a.m. EDT. The Brookings Institution will stream the event and, following the presentation of the results, an expert panel will respond to issues raised in the survey. The panel will take audience questions after the discussion.

Click here to register for the webinar.

Viewers can submit questions via email to events@brookings.edu or via Twitter using #FamilySurvey.

Learn more about this year’s survey results in the Deseret News video “90% of Americans don’t want their kids to be politicians”

Baylie Duce

Global Women’s Studies Releases Fall Colloquium Schedule

Take a look at the fall GWS 392R lecture lineup! The Global Women’s Studies Colloquium lectures present research findings on topics relating to women’s lives and experiences throughout history, across the world, and within ethnic, educational, and economic segments of society. Students can earn 1 credit hour each fall and winter semester by enrolling in GWS 392R. All members of the university community are welcome to attend lectures via Zoom.  

Click here on lecture days at noon to join Colloquium Lectures in which you are interested.

For students in the class click here to add each class to your iCal or Google calendar.