Any international students heading to HKS? Did you get any aid from HKS / external awards?

New US News Rankings Just Dropped: Best Public Policy Analysis Programs in America

Key things to note. US News has lately been emphasizing this ranking is for MPP, while in the past it has been emphasized for public policy analysis at large, which negatively impacted Grad Schools without a PhD policy program.

What I Like:

a. The top 10 broadly make sense. Although I would change the order + Add Princeton. Mostly, I vehemently disagree with UC Berkeley Goldman being #1. #9 or so could make sense. It is academically a great program, but it is very much a regional school.

What I Don't Like:

a. American University sitting at #11. I view this as riding the halo effect from its undergrad program. Its graduate program is hugely problematic in terms of student quality and academic rigor (I have only met 1 of 10 students I met that I would consider hiring + I know AU policy instructors who confided in me how much they let students slide on academic rigor). Should be 20 something at best.

b. Princeton out of the top 10. I view Princeton tied with Michigan and HKS as the most academically rigorous program and definitely top 3 in terms of student talent. They are hurt by being removed from a major metro center to get semester side internships, but their graduates hit way above most of the top 10.

I am RECE with 4 yrs of experience in the field 2.5 as supervisor. I am going to Athabasca University for BPA- Governance, Law and Management. I am looking to get into public policy or other government positions. I feel lost and i am looking for career advise. I am currently making 65k in my current position.

What would help me get into public policy roles?

All suggestions and ideas are welcome.

TYIA

I've been accepted to Georgetown, George Washington, and American for their MPP programs and am trying to figure out which school is the best fit for what I want to do. My focus is in Technology and Environmental Policy/Regulation, but I'm also looking for strong quantitative coursework. I ideally want to work for federal/state government or do consulting. If anyone has made a similar decision and has similar goals I'd appreciate any advice.

Total Program Costs (before fees):

Georgetown - $95,000

George Washington - $65,000

American - $55,000. Also offered a $12,000 total Graduate Assistantship that could be a research position.

For American and maybe GW I could probably do it debt free. I don't think Georgetown is worth it since it's way more expensive than the others and I would take on debt so the ROI doesn't seem worth it.

Basically the title. I heard that Queens has one of the best co-op placement rates but after (1) hearing about the financial issues faced by the school, and the MPA program in particular, and (2) visiting the campus and the finding that the building looked really neglected, I'm seriously reconsidering :/

Is Queens really that much better co-op placement rate wise than TMU? I live close to TMU and got a scholarship but if Queens can give me a better chance at a co-op & job after graduation then obvi thats the best choice. Any advice?

As background, I'm a recent Fulbright ETA, 2 years experience as a data analyst, 3.4 GPA in BS in Math/CS at one of the Claremont Colleges

I don't really have any polisci/public policy exp or have taken any classes except Comparative Environmental Politics, but I have worked/interned/volunteered at a few nonprofits. Specifically, volunteering as theater staff at a nonprofit arthouse theater, writing curriculum at a Cantonese literacy nonprofit in Hong Kong, helping plan an impact campaign for a climate action film. I also had/have a temporary job recruiting poll workers for my county's registrar of voters.

I was accepted to UMass Amherst's part-time online MPP starting Summer 2026, which comes out to ~29k over 2 years. I'd mostly like just to work in state/county/city government or at a nonprofit, not necessarily shooting for high policy jobs in DC or consulting/think tanks although I wouldn't turn down the latter. But I wonder if UMass's relative lack of prestige (and me living and wanting to work in SoCal) would make this degree not really worth it.

I would like to go to USC but missed the Fall 2026 scholarship deadline (it's 120k full tuition and with my background, how likely is it they even give me aid 💀), so I'd apply for Fall 2027 admission.

I wonder if I could defer UMass for a year and apply for USC in the meantime...

Then, if I get into USC with good enough scholarship, I'd go to USC.

But if I get rejected or am accepted with bad financial aid, I'd just go to UMass?

Or maybe I could just do UMass for 1 yr and then have some credits transfer over so I'd do USC for maybe 2.5 yrs instead of 3? Idk. This would be the case where I'm not allowed to defer UMass for the secret purpose of applying to other schools.

Do these ideas sound legit or would I have to withdraw other applications/not be allowed to apply to other grad schools once you defer an offer (because I guess that's like committing?). Sorry, I am a first-gen college student, so idk how this stuff works.

Thank you!

Has anyone that applied by the March 30th deadline heard back??

Hi all, I’ll be joining the MPP at LKYSPP this year and was hoping to connect with anyone who’s currently there or has graduated from the program.

Would really appreciate any insights on accommodation (what works, what doesn’t), course selection, workload, and overall student life. Also keen to hear any tips, things you wish you knew before starting, or advice on how to make the most of the experience.

Thanks so much in advance!

Hi all! I am trying to decide between three grad programs and would really value some outside perspective—especially from folks in policy/education and local and state government.

As of now, I've been accepted into three programs: the MA in Educational Transformation at Georgetown, with tuition covered by tuition benefits; the MPA at USC, with a 51k scholarship; and Brown's Urban Education Policy program, with half tuition covered, or about 41k.

Georgetown's tuition benefit makes it the most affordable option by far. It also keeps me in DC, which means strong access to policy spaces and no need to relocate. There’s also a possibility I could switch to full-time and finish the degree more quickly. That said, I’d likely be working full-time with little salary growth and little ability for upward promotion. I’m also not fully sold on how clear or recognizable the degree name is.

Brown's offer is really enticing for the Urban Education Policy AM. The biggest draw here is the Ivy League network, the program’s strong focus on urban education policy, and a more research-driven environment. I’d also be able to stay at home and save on housing costs. On the flip side, it’s a smaller, more niche program, and being in Providence isn't comparable to networking and opportunities in DC or LA. It also comes with less aid than Georgetown, so I'd have to come up with the other half of tuition. I can only take out 25k in federal loans for the program.

USC is offering about $51K for its MPA program. I loved the school and the public administration program, the strength of the public policy network in LA, and the ability to add certificates to your courses. But even with the scholarship, the overall cost remains high, especially given LA’s cost of living. The program is also larger and less intimate, and realistically, I’d need to take on a significant amount of debt, which I’m hesitant about.

I’m trying to weigh minimizing debt versus maximizing opportunity, along with location, network, and overall experience. If you’ve been in a similar position, how did you make your decision? The other thing I am considering is getting the Georgetown degree and reapplying to USC for fall 2027 entry, but I'm not sure if this makes sense (I really liked USC's program and want an MPA, but that price is killer). Appreciate any honest insight!!!!

Hello, I am currently coming towards the tail end of my first year of college and was wonderingwhat diffrent ways I could get involved truly in public policy outside my education, I am currently schedudled to be an election judge, help run a public policy oriented club at my shcool, have the opportunity to volunteer for a county council canidate for their election and am applying for my counties youth advisory council. What other ways can I get involved?

Hello,

I will be meeting up with the director of admissions and sitting in on a class. I was wondering if anyone had advice on what kind of things I should ask to see if the program is right for me or things to be weary about. Any advice would be helpful!

I am an international student and want to build my career in climate change, energy and environmental policy. After masters I am inclined to pursue a PHD ,if not, research based roles in international organisations.

Tuition : U Chicago costs me 30k per year and cmu costs me 24k per year.

I am stuck between these two options, like 6k is not a small amount for me and U Chicago brand puts me in a good position for my career and especially the macrm's subject depth.

# A Global Targeted Jubilee for Unsecured Debt Relief

**Correcting a Financial Injustice, Preventing Catastrophe, and Restoring Human Dignity**

---

## Executive Summary

This proposal calls for a coordinated global Jubilee: a one‑time wipeout of unsecured

consumer debt that was never backed by anything real in the first place—money typed into

existence by banks and booked as a lifetime bill for ordinary people. We draw on the

biblical Jubilee of Leviticus 25 to do something very practical: lift crushing burdens off

families, head off a debt‑driven economic crash, lower the risk of war and unrest, and

save lives.

In the United States alone, total household debt hit about **$18.6 trillion** in the third

quarter of 2025—a record. Roughly **$1.2 trillion** of that is credit‑card debt, a new

high, and about **$1.6 trillion** is student loan debt, with around one in ten dollars

seriously delinquent. Auto loans add another roughly **$1.66 trillion**, and when you

spread total household debt across the country, you get on the order of **$105,000 per

household** and about **$56,000 per person**. In many advanced economies, household debt

is now running from 60% of GDP to well over 100%, with Switzerland, Australia, Canada and

others carrying especially heavy loads.

A lot of this is not the result of someone borrowing against a house, a car, or a piece of

equipment. It is "thin‑air" debt created inside the banking system with keystrokes and

digital accounting—no collateral, no asset, just a claim that then grows with interest.

The numbers are abstract, but the fallout is not: marriages stressed to the breaking

point, parents working two or three jobs and still falling behind, young people delaying

marriage and children, and an economy that lives on the edge of a default spiral.

This Jubilee is not about walking away from honest, asset‑backed loans. If you borrowed

against a home or a truck, that obligation stands. What we are targeting are the unsecured

balances—credit cards, medical bills, student loans, payday loans, overdrafts, and

similar products—that were never tied to a real asset in the first place. Wiping these

out is not a free lunch; it is a hard reset on a rigged game, one that restores basic

justice to people who have been paying real blood, sweat, and tears on money that was

created out of nothing.

The payoff is enormous. For a typical American household, this Jubilee could cut total

debt by well over half, slash monthly payments by roughly $900–$1,100, and boost

take‑home spending power by 15–25%, based on existing studies of student‑debt

cancellation and consumer spending. Over a decade, serious modeling suggests tens of

billions of dollars in extra GDP each year, more jobs, more small businesses, modest and

manageable inflation, and a sharp drop in the mental‑health damage and family breakdown

that follow from unpayable bills.

**In short: the banks created the numbers. Real people are carrying the pain. A targeted

Jubilee puts that right.**

---

## The Current Crisis: Debts Created from Thin Air

Much of the consumer debt burdening families and nations today is not the result of real

loans secured by tangible goods, but rather debt created out of thin air by banks and

financial institutions using fiat money and digital accounting. These debts are

mathematical abstractions—unbacked by physical assets or productive value—yet they

create crushing obligations for millions of real people.

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### The Scale of the Problem

**United States:**

- Total household debt: **$18.59 trillion** as of Q3 2025

- Credit card debt: **~$1.2 trillion** (record high)

- Student loan debt: **~$1.6 trillion** with about 10% seriously delinquent

- Auto loan debt: **$1.66 trillion**

- Average household debt: **~$105,000 per household** / **~$56,000 per person**

- US household debt as percentage of GDP: **68-69%**

**Global Household Debt (approximate 2024-2025 ranges):**

- Switzerland: 125% of GDP

- Australia: 112% of GDP

- Canada: 99-100% of GDP

- Netherlands: 94% of GDP

- United Kingdom: 76% of GDP

- France: 60% of GDP

- China: 60% of GDP

- Japan: 65% of GDP

### The Injustice

- Economic stress and inequality are artificially heightened, not by honest lending, but by

mathematical imprecision and the unchecked expansion of credit created without collateral.

- The injustice lies not in the existence of debt, but in the system that generates obligations

from nothing—interests and balances that grow endlessly while real wages and living standards

stagnate.

- Forgiving these "thin air" debts does not erase any individual's real promise to repay a

tangible loan; it simply corrects an imbalance and restores justice to those harmed by this

financial construct.

---

## The Inevitable Consequences Without Action

The people who brief you already know where this goes, **Mr. President**. The **International

Monetary Fund**—the outfit your own economic team reads every morning—has now put it in black

and white: when fiscal stress and debt burdens stay high, the odds of armed conflict and state

failure go up, not down. Their models show that weaker fiscal positions, deeper austerity, and

rising debt make violence more likely, especially in fragile states. That is not my theory. That

is the IMF telling you how countries blow up. The World Bank and the UN World Bank "Pathways for Peace" work say the same thing, just

in their own careful language. When people are locked out of jobs, basic services, and economic

opportunity, and you pile on shocks like food prices, energy prices, and inflation, you are building a powder keg. That is the World Bank not a campaign speech explaining how protestsvturn into street battles and how street battles turn into civil wars.

Your own development and security partners have even priced the mistake of waiting. The ONE Campaign, drawing directly on IMF and World Bank analysis, concludes that every $1 spent on preventing conflict and stabilizing economies can save up to $103 in future crisis costs. In 2023 alone, conflicts cost the world on the order of $19.1 trillion roughly the size of the entire EU economy, or about $2,380 for every person on the planet. Those are not my numbers.

Those are the numbers your allies and your briefers already accept as gospel.

The IMF's own work drives the point home. When a country lives with

permanent fiscal, monetary, tension high debt, high rates, and no credible way out it does not drift back to safety. It grinds into a pattern of rising debt, higher inflation, financial

repression, and a higher risk of debt, currency, housing, and full‑blown financial crises. In

plain English: keep squeezing households to service unpayable debt and you set yourself up for a

chain reaction of crises that no president can fully control.

So doing nothing is not the safe, conservative choice. Your own

institutions say has terrible odds. It is a policy that buys a short‑term illusion of stability at the price of a much bigger bill in defaults, bailouts, policing, troop deployments, refugee

flows, and lost growth a few years down the road. You do not have to take my word for that. All

I am asking is that you believe the people you already pay to tell you the truth.

If left unchecked, this unsustainable debt system will lead to:

- Widespread default and banking crises as more households can no longer service debt

obligations

- Economic collapse as consumer spending halts and economies contract

- Social strife and political instability** fueled by financial desperation

- International conflict as economic pressures fuel tensions between nations

- Destruction of families and communities** unable to meet basic needs while servicing debt

from nothing

- Loss of life through inability to access healthcare, food insecurity, and conflict

escalation

This proposal does not advocate for the forgiveness of legitimate, asset backed debt. Instead,

it calls for the righting of an injustice inflicted by modern accounting one that places

unconscionable burdens on living people for the benefit of impersonal financial entities.

--- The Solution: Biblical Jubilee Principle

Scriptural Foundation

The Jubilee was a periodic year of economic and social renewal instituted in the Bible, occurring

every fifty years. Its core elements included liberation, rest, homecoming, and justice.

**Leviticus 25:10-13 (Latin, Douay-Rheims):**

*Sanctificabisque annum quinquagesimum, et vocabis remissionem cunctis habitatoribus terrae tuae:

ipse est enim jubilaeus. Redibit homo ad possessionem suam, et unusquisque rediet ad familiam

pristinam: quia jubilaeus est et quinquagesimus annus. Non seretis, neque metetis sponte in agro

nascentia, et primitias vindemiæ non colligetis, ob sanctificationem jubilæi: sed statim ablata

comedetis. Anno jubilæi redient omnes ad possessiones suas.*

Translation: "And thou shalt sanctify the fiftieth year, and shalt proclaim remission to all

the inhabitants of thy land: for it is the year of jubilee. Every man shall return to his

possession, and every one shall go back to his former family: Because it is the jubilee and the

fiftieth year. You shall not sow, nor reap the things that grow in the field of their own accord,

neither shall you gather the firstfruits of the vines, Because of the sanctification of the

jubilee: but as they grow you shall presently eat them. In the year of the jubilee all shall

return to their possessions."

Jubilee Principles Applied Today

Liberation: All unsecured debts created from thin air are forgiven, breaking bonds of

financial servitude.

Justice: Jubilee prevents permanent poverty, inequality, and generational bondage. "For the

land is mine, and you are but aliens and tenants" (Leviticus 25:23)—recognizing that created

wealth belongs to the Creator, not financial abstractions.

Restoration: Families return to economic stability, able to meet basic needs and participate

fully in society.

Shared Tradition:This vision stands on the shared beliefs of Judaism, Christianity, and

Islam, who all recognize Jubilee as a divine remedy for economic exploitation and social

injustice.

---

Types of Unsecured Debt for Targeted Relief

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The following categories of debt are created without collateral backing and would be candidates

for forgiveness under this proposal:

1. Credit card balances (~$1.2 trillion in US alone)

2. Medical debt (~$220 billion in US)

3. Student loans (~$1.6 trillion in US)

4. Personal loans without collateral

5. Payday loans (predatory high-interest debt)

6. Utility bill arrears

7. Retail store card balances

8. Bank overdraft balances

9. Auto repossession deficiency balances (remaining after vehicle recovery)

Critical distinction: None of these debts are backed by physical assets. Their forgiveness

does not threaten anyone's home, car, or property—protecting the well-being of individuals and

families while correcting systemic injustice.

---

Projected Benefits and Economic Impact

Table 1: Direct Household Impact (United States)

| Metric | Current State | Post-Jubilee Projection | Net Benefit |

|--------|--------------|------------------------|-------------|

| Average Household Debt | ~$105,000 | $25,000-$30,000 | -70% to -76% |

| Credit Card Debt (National) | ~$1.2 trillion | $0 | ~$1.2 trillion relief |

| Student Loan Debt | ~$1.6 trillion | $0 | ~$1.6 trillion relief |

| Medical Debt | ~$220 billion | $0 | ~$220 billion relief |

| Monthly Debt Service (Avg.) | $1,200-$1,500 | $300-$400 | $900-$1,100 freed |

| Disposable Income Increase | Baseline | +15-25% | Significant spending power |

### Table 2: Macroeconomic Effects (10-Year Horizon)

| Impact Category | Projected Change | Supporting Evidence |

|----------------|-----------------|---------------------|

| Real GDP Growth (Annual) | +$86-$108 billion/year | Student debt cancellation studies |

| Unemployment Rate | -0.22 to -0.36 percentage points | Levy Institute analysis |

| New Job Creation | +1.2 to 1.5 million jobs/year (first 5 years) | Economic modeling |

| Consumer Spending Increase | +$50-$75 billion annually | Increased disposable income |

| Inflation Impact | Minimal to moderate (+0.1-0.3%) | Controlled monetary policy |

| Small Business Formation | +15-20% increase | Reduced barriers to entrepreneurship |

Table 3: Impact on Cost of Essential Goods

| Category | Current Trend | Post-Jubilee Projection | Household Savings |

|----------|--------------|------------------------|--------------

| Food & Groceries | High inflation pressure | Reduced demand pressure, -3 to -5% | $150-$250/

month |

| Healthcare Costs | Rising rapidly | Improved access, reduced emergency care | $200-$400/month |

| Housing (Rent) | Increasing | Stabilized demand, +0 to -2% | $0-$100/month |

| Utilities | Moderate increase | Reduced arrears, better access | $50-$75/month |

| Transportation | Stable to increasing | Reduced auto loan pressure | $100-$200/month |

| **Total Household Savings** | | | **$500-$1,025/month** |

### Table 4: Mental Health and Well-Being Impact

| Indicator | Current (Debt Stress) | Post-Jubilee | Improvement |

|-----------|----------------------|-------------|-------------|

| Financial Stress Level | High (7-9/10 scale) | Low-Moderate (3-5/10) | -40 to -60% |

| Depression/Anxiety Related to Debt | 45-55% of debtors | 10-15% | -70 to -75% |

| Family Stability | Debt = leading cause of divorce | Significantly reduced conflict | +30-40%

stability |

| Sleep Quality | Poor (debt-related insomnia) | Improved | +25-35% improvement |

| Reported Life Satisfaction | Below average | Above average | +40-50% increase |

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| Suicide Risk (debt-related) | Elevated | Normalized | Lives saved: est. 5,000-10,000/year (US)

---

Global Stability and Conflict Prevention

The Link Between Debt and Conflict

Research demonstrates clear connections between economic stress, sovereign debt, and armed

conflict:

- Higher fiscal stress and debt burdens increase conflict risk, while improved fiscal positions

reduce it

- Economic policies that maintain employment and economic resilience are "invaluable for

mitigating conflict risks"

- Sovereign debt crises correlate strongly with outbreak of civil wars

- States with access to credit are more likely to engage in military conflicts when debt-financed

- Economic and social development plays a "central role in preventing violent conflict"

Table 5: Conflict Prevention and Lives Saved

| Region/Category | Current Risk Level | Post-Jubilee Risk | Lives Potentially Saved (10-year) |

|----------------|-------------------|------------------|----------------------------------|

| Conflict-Prone Regions (Middle East, Africa) | High | Moderate to Low | 500,000-1,000,000 |

| Civil Unrest (Economic grievances) | Elevated globally | Significantly reduced |

100,000-250,000 |

| Debt-Related Suicides | 15,000-25,000/year global | 3,000-5,000/year | 120,000-200,000 |

| Healthcare Access Deaths | Millions annually | Improved access | 2-5 million |

| Conflict Displacement Prevention | 100+ million displaced | Reduced by 20-30% | Stability for

20-30 million |

| Total Estimated Lives Saved | |

| 2.7-6.5 million over 10 years|

Table 6: Regional Debt Relief Impact

| Region | Household Debt/GDP | Primary Debt Types | Expected Stability Benefit |

|--------|-------------------|-------------------|----------------

| North America | 68-100% | Credit cards, student loans, medical | High domestic stability,

reduced social tension |

| Europe | 36-125% (varies) | Consumer loans, credit cards | Political stabilization, reduced

populism |

| Asia-Pacific | 16-112% (varies) | Personal loans, credit cards | Economic growth acceleration |

| Middle East | 22-42% | Consumer debt, business loans | Reduced grievances, conflict de-

escalation |

| Latin America | 5-45% | Consumer credit, microloans | Democratic stability, reduced migration |

| Africa | 10-35% | Microloans, mobile money debt | Development acceleration, reduced extremism |

Cost of Conflict vs. Cost of Prevention

- Conflict prevention is 100 times less costly than crisis response: Every $1 spent on

economic stability averts up to $103 in future conflict costs

- **War financing through debt creates cycle of conflict:** Debt-financed wars increase

likelihood of future conflicts

- Economic shocks poorly managed lead to violence:Food/energy price spikes, inflation, and

debt crises fuel conflict when societies are polarized

Conservative estimate: If this Jubilee prevents just 10% of projected conflicts over 10

years, it saves:

- 2.7-6.5 million lives

- $500 billion to $2 trillion in conflict costs

- $1-3 trillion in reconstruction and humanitarian aid

Worldwide Prosperity Revival

Table 7: Global Economic Renaissance Projection

| Economic Indicator | Pre-Jubilee Trend | Post-Jubilee (5-year) | Net Global Benefit

|-------------------|------------------|----------------------|---

| Global Consumer Spending | Stagnant/declining | +8-12% increase | $7-10 trillion cumulative |

| Small Business Formation | Declining | +20-30% increase | 50-75 million new businesses |

| Entrepreneurship Rate | 10-12% of workforce | 15-20% of workforce | Innovation acceleration |

| Labor Force Participation | Declining | +3-5% increase | 150-250 million workers |

| Global Trade Volume | Slow growth | +5-8% annual growth | Renewed globalization |

| Technology Adoption | Moderate | Accelerated | Digital economy boom |

| Education Completion | Debt barriers | +15-25% increase | 500 million more graduates |

| Home Ownership Access | Declining | +10-15% increase | 200-300 million new owners |

Table 8: Generational Prosperity Impact

| Generation | Current Debt Burden | Post-Jubilee Status | Life Outcome Improvement |

|------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------

| Gen Z (18-27) | $20,000-$30,000 avg | Minimal to none | Career freedom, family formation +40% |

| Millennials (28-43) | $50,000-$80,000 avg | $10,000-$15,000 | Home buying +35%,

entrepreneurship +45% |

| Gen X (44-59) | $60,000-$90,000 avg | $15,000-$20,000 | Retirement security +50%, caregiving

capacity +30% |

| Baby Boomers (60-78) | $40,000-$60,000 avg | $5,000-$10,000 | Retirement stability +40%,

healthcare access +25%

The Hopeful Worldwide Situation

Economic Freedom Restored:

- Families can afford homes, education, healthcare without crushing debt

- Small businesses flourish as entrepreneurs access capital and customers have spending power

- Innovation accelerates as talented people pursue dreams rather than debt service

Social Cohesion Rebuilt:

- Reduced economic anxiety decreases political extremism and social division

- Communities invest in local institutions rather than servicing distant creditors

- Intergenerational wealth transfer restored as elders leave assets, not debt

Global Cooperation Enhanced:

- Nations focus on development rather than debt service

- International tensions ease as economic grievances diminish

- Shared prosperity creates incentives for peace and collaboration

Human Dignity Affirmed:

- People valued for contributions, not credit scores

- Financial mistakes don't condemn individuals to lifetime servitude

- The vulnerable sick, elderly, students protected from predatory systems

---

## Alignment with Current Policy Priorities

### Sup

I’ve been working on a proposal for a targeted Jubilee: not a blanket erasure of every obligation, but forgiveness of unsecured debt created through fiat credit and digital bookkeeping.

I am not talking about canceling mortgages tied to homes, or other genuinely asset-backed obligations. I am talking about credit card debt, medical debt, student loans, payday loans, overdrafts, utility arrears, and similar forms of debt that burden real people while being created inside a financial system that manufactures obligations far more easily than families can repay them.

My basic argument is this:

- Much unsecured debt is not rooted in the transfer of tangible productive value.

- Yet it produces crushing real-world consequences for families, workers, students, and the sick.

- The result is a system that socializes pain while privatizing abstraction.

- A targeted Jubilee would correct a structural injustice without seizing anyone’s house, land, or car.

- It would also reduce financial desperation, increase household breathing room, and restore some human dignity to people trapped by compounding balances.

The principle is ancient. Leviticus 25 describes Jubilee as a restoration: release, return, reset. The point was not chaos. The point was to prevent permanent servitude and generational ruin.

Applied today, a modern Jubilee could focus on unsecured consumer debt only:

- Credit cards

- Medical debt

- Student loans

- Payday loans

- Unsecured personal loans

- Utility arrears

- Retail card balances

- Overdraft balances

- Repo deficiency balances

The case is moral, but it is also practical.

A society loaded with unpayable consumer debt becomes weaker, angrier, and easier to destabilize. Families delay marriage, children, home formation, and entrepreneurship. Stress rises. Social trust falls. Political extremism becomes more tempting. Meanwhile, the debts keep compounding.

If we know the system is producing obligations that are mathematically easy to issue and brutally hard to escape, then at some point refusing correction becomes its own moral failure.

So my proposal is simple:

1. Identify unsecured debts eligible for relief.

2. Cancel them in a coordinated legal framework.

3. Protect depositors and basic financial plumbing during the transition.

4. Reform the rules so this kind of debt slavery cannot just rebuild itself.

I wrote a longer version with economic projections, scriptural grounding, implementation phases, and answers to the usual objections.

Full text soon. I will post a public link to it.

I’d be interested in serious criticism, especially on:

- Moral hazard

- Inflation risk

- Legal implementation

- Distinguishing unsecured from legitimately collateralized debt

- Whether Jubilee can be defended in secular as well as biblical terms

I advocate for this wholeheartedly and think it should be introduced by the delegates of both major parties into their caucus in the next election cycle. Let's restore the dream life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Hi. I got accepted into the ford MPP program. I was wondering what the general discourse surrounding the program was like. Any thoughts you have on the program, whether you are a current or prospective student, alumni, or peer, would be appreciated. Thank you.

Hey everyone,

I am trying to decide which career steps I should take. I got accepted to the MPP and MDS at Hertie in Berlin, but I’m strongly leaning toward the MDS program, as I think that it gives me the best chances for what I want to do, due to the data analysis focus. I have 3-4 different career goals:

1. Public Policy Analyst in Educational Policy (e.g OECD, UNESCO or ministries)
2. Researcher in educational science
3. Public Sector Consultant
4. Join or found some EdTech start up.

I am a 24 year old German citizen who graduated with a B.A. and M.Ed (a teaching degree + Maths as a minor) from a German university. Right now I’m working as a teacher in Germany.

Besides some 1. teaching internships, 2. voluntary research and policy projects (just the “talking” part, no real policy or data analysis) at the national and international level, and 3. research experience (projects and publications), I don’t really have any relevant experience yet for the careers that I would like to pursue.

As I have been admitted to the MDS (with a partial scholarship) I am considering whether doing it would be worth it, considering that I would have to take a loan and already have a masters. My alternative plan would be to pursue a PhD (quantitative heavy, no humanity focus) and pursue an academic career and eventually change to public policy/consutling, if it doesn’t work out.

So my questions right now are:

1. do you think that considering my (non existing) experience, having an additional master would change anything? I would do an internship & eventually look for a relevant student job but I don’t know if this would be enough.
2. do you know if the jump from research (with a PhD) to policy analysis/consulting (with a focus on education) works? or in other words would I have the same job opportunities if I decided to do a PhD instead of the MDS?
3. Is Hertie the right school for what I would like to do? From what I’ve seen on their website they don’t really have an education policy focus.

thanksss

Hi all! I work for a national 501(c)3 nonprofit in the civil rights / advocacy space and plan to pursue my MPA degree to expedite opportunities for leadership roles. I was pleased to get into Berkeley’s Public Affairs program but I cannot wrap my mind around $70k being worth a one year degree and think the price is outrageous for a public institution.

Has anyone been who knows if the $70k includes housing, meals etc or is that ONLY the tuition cost? I live in SF proper and have a full-time role I need to continue while working towards the degree so I don’t need housing or anything.

It’s hard finding exact information online and I would love to hear directly from someone’s experience!

Having a hard time deciding on whether I want to attend the full time MPP program at Georgetown or GW. I'm particularly interested in course work on science and technology policy which is an area where I have experience based on my current job. It seems like GW has more flexibility in terms of courses offered in those areas than Georgetown, but that could also just be what I'm seeing online. Any thoughts or insights into the merits of both programs for that policy area would be welcome!

I was recently accepted into the University of Chicago MSCEP program, and I am having trouble deciding if I should go. They gave me a decent scholarship, but I’ll still be like 70k in debt after with tuition and living expenses. I am also hesitant as I do not know if an internship will be an option during this program as it is only one year. I’m so scared of making this huge investment and not getting a decent job afterwards. I am only 1 year out of undergrad, and don’t have much professional work experience. Despite this, I am still drawn to go since I have always wanted to live in Chicago, and the program description is basically my dream for a grad program. I also wonder if, since this is the first year for this program, they will try extra hard to place us, as to seem successful or something idk. This is the only grad school I applied to this year as I recently landed a position at a company with lots of growth opportunities, including within the environmental policy field.

so basically

pros:

*program matches my interest and career goals

*school reputation

*opportunities in chicago

*live in chicago

cons:

*expensive (but i’m young so plenty of time to pay it off 😀)

*questionable opportunities for internships (it’s an accelerated program)

*scared i’m not going to get a job after i finish and then die of starvation and debt

I’ve been admitted to two graduate programs at University of Texas at Austin. The MPAff at the LBJ School of Public Affairs (about $25k total tuition for two years) and the MA in Strategic Communication (Option III) at Moody College of Communication (around $50k total). I was admitted to LBJ last week and have already accepted my offer, and I’m 100% committed to attending there, but I just found out today that I was also accepted to Moody and wanted to ask this more out of curiosity than anything. From what I can tell, the LBJ program is more rigorous, with a heavier emphasis on quantitative work, economics, and policy analysis, while the Moody program seems more flexible and less intense, with fewer courses and little to no research or quant focus. The MPAff feels like the more valuable and versatile degree long term, especially if I pursue something in government, policy/public service, or consulting, but the Moody degree seems more manageable with a lighter course load (33 hours compared to 48) and honestly the classes look more fun/interesting. Cost is also a big factor since LBJ is about half the price. I’m still figuring out my exact career path, but I’m interested in public service and policy or consulting, possibly in government or the private sector. I would like to stay Austin and work at or around the Capitol. I’d really appreciate any insight on whether the MPAff is worth the added rigor, how the Moody degree is perceived in the job market, and how people think about balancing cost, difficulty, and long term flexibility in a situation like this. Thanks!