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Political Review

Savannah Pursglove

Web Publisher, Staff Writer
Editing and Publishing

Minor in International Strategy & Diplomacy.
Embarassingly avid Letterboxd user. Cinemark Movie Club Platinum Member.

More from this author
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November 2025

Democrats Flinch, Republicans Froth, and Rent Doubles Anyway

By Savannah Pursglove
October 27, 2025 09:33 AM
A Marxist (who isn't even a Marxist) walks into a bar. The bartender spills a drink, the regulars scream "communism," and political social media implodes. That's roughly been the reaction to Zohran Mamdani's mayoral nomination. One of my few New York experiences was a high school theatre trip (don't hold it against me), which prepared me for drama but not for the hysteria around this race. Suppose you believe in political Twitter (a dangerous game). In that case, Mamdani's win as the Democratic nominee for New York mayor either heralds the socialist revolution or the Democrats' downfall [1][2]. Some argue his nomination helps Republicans, calling it a "win for Trump" and proof of Democratic radicalism [2]. That's a mistake, both for assuming voters respond mainly to fear and for simplifying what Mamdani and the modern left represent. Spoiler: it isn't a surrender to a "socialist hellhole" [3]!
6 Min Read
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October 2025

Twice Blest No More: The Human Costs of Dissolving USAID

By Savannah Pursglove
September 29, 2025 10:53 AM
Once used in a plea to the BYU Parking police to get them to drop a (justly-given) parking ticket (and they did), I now reuse one of my favorite lines from Shakespeare here: “The quality of mercy is not strained; / It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven / Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest; / It blesseth him that gives and him that takes. [1]” While I wish I could include the whole of this stanza from Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, I unfortunately have a word limit and a desire to talk about something more pressing than my parking woes.
5 Min Read
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April 2025

Are You Not Entertained? Are We Not All Ashamed?

By Savannah Pursglove
April 17, 2025 08:35 AM
In the movie Gladiator, Maximus, a fallen Roman general, fights and defeats a group of gladiators in an arena to the amazement and shock of the crowd. Confused and slightly angry at their silence, Maximus then delivers one of the most memorable lines from the movie: “Are you not entertained?” [1]
4 Min Read
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March 2025

Wait. Am I the Problem?

By Savannah Pursglove
March 31, 2025 11:29 AM
A few weeks ago, I had a doctor's appointment that, to summarize, did not go well. Sparing you the gory details, I will simply say that the procedure caused excruciating pain, aided only by a single 800mg ibuprofen. I cried the whole way home from Salt Lake City, and after sharing my tale of woe and sadness with multiple female friends, I don't think I stand alone.
4 Min Read
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February 2025

Far-Right Fever: Highly Contagious, Highly Dangerous

By Savannah Pursglove
February 25, 2025 01:59 PM
I admit that some days, I am tempted to tune out Europe’s political dramas. We already have more than enough issues to worry about here in the United States (with even more, it seems, on the way), from political polarization to economic pressures to rising egg prices and back again. However, as tempting as it sounds, ignoring Europe’s far-right surge could backfire, as the political upheaval across the pond often seeps into our debates, policies, and daily lives. The far-right resurgence is not only Europe’s problem, unfortunately. It is a global issue, and overlooking it would be a mistake.
4 Min Read
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Mind the Gap(s): The Diverging Paths of Young Men and Women

By Savannah Pursglove
January 06, 2025 01:54 PM
Reflecting on 2024, I keep coming back to one thing: this has been a year marked by gender gaps. And not just in one area but across several facets of our society: religion, politics, education, and beyond. It seems like every significant aspect of life is being reshaped by these growing divides, sparking various questions. Are women doing "too much" or "too little"? Are women having too few children? Are too many women pursuing careers? Are too many women voting blue? The question isn't really about what women are doing, however. It's about why we're seeing such distinct differences between men and women in how they're engaging with the world. And what does that mean for us moving forward?
4 Min Read
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Sexual Misconduct in Politics: Power Wins, Dignity Who?

By Savannah Pursglove
December 06, 2024 04:54 PM
Rape culture is a term familiar to the majority of us in the United States. Whether we're able to give a formal definition of "rape culture" or not, I would feel comfortable assuming that it's something that the general population would be able to understand. For most people, a sexual assault accusation or case is enough for them to lose their jobs or have other or additional serious consequences. Why is this not the case for politicians?
5 Min Read
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Ignorance isn’t Bliss: It’s Embarrassing

By Savannah Pursglove
December 06, 2024 11:44 AM
On three occasions recently, I was asked to share my “political pet peeve” or “political hot take,” here it is: today, it’s embarrassing for someone to be apathetic about the world around them. To be clear, I’m not saying that anyone who doesn’t have an obsessive relationship with reading the news is politically apathetic. However, I am saying that someone who doesn’t know who the current sitting President of the United States is apathetic.
4 Min Read
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