1 in 3 adults in the United States have a criminal record, which offers significant challenges to these individuals, including reentering the job market after incarceration. Over the years, there’s been a push for “Ban the Box” policies that call for removing questions asking about criminal history on job applications to give former offenders a fair chance by delaying background checks until later in the hiring process. Those who are against early screening argue that former offenders shouldn’t continue to be punished by the system, especially when it disproportionally affects minorities. It also prevents applicants from contributing and reintegrating into society and reducing dependency on social services. Those who disagree and say that screening a job applicant’s criminal history is important, argue that employers have a responsibility to ensure the safety of their business, employees, and customers and make informed hiring decisions. Without early screening, some recent studies show that employers might unconsciously resort to biased assumptions or stereotypes when evaluating candidates.With this context, we debate Ban the Box: Should We Banish the Criminal History Check Box from Job Applications?
Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United States has provided more than $75 billion in aid to Ukraine, which has been directed toward military operations, economic support, and humanitarian assistance. As the…
Post-October 7th, Iran's presence in the Middle East—and on the world stage—is growing stronger, many say, given its nuclear ambitions and its use of proxies in Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen, most recently disrupting shipping…
In a new “Mock Trial” debate format, Open to Debate will take on the most important legal questions of our time, with each episode focusing on a high-profile case unfolding in the public square. We’ll…
In recent years, the U.S. has seen a surge in the number of migrants and asylum seekers at its borders, which has strained existing border security and immigration systems. The Secure the Border Act of…
The centrist group No Labels is planning to host a bipartisan nominating convention in 2024. This is leading some people to speculate that they may promote a third-party candidate that better reflects the perspective of…
Benjamin Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime minister in Israel’s history. After five elections happening in four years, Israeli voters re-elected him in November 2022 where he established a new government while on trial for corruption…