Thomas B
- Research Program Mentor
JD candidate at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
Expertise
Contemporary/comparative legal responses to emergencies; legal and geopolitical ramifications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Bio
Hello! My name is Thomas Briggs, and I'm excited to be a Polygence Mentor for students interested in topics like law and legal theory, political philosophy, and international relations. Whether researching or teaching I emphasize the importance of history and historical knowledge as essential tools for understanding why law, philosophy, and international relations look the way they do today. Some of my current research interests include the expansion of executive (Presidential) power in the United States and Europe, and the way governments and international institutions have responded to emergencies like COVID, the 2008 Financial Crisis, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I have also started mentoring students interested in China's economy, politics, and society. In my free time I like to play trading card games, and I occasionally travel to different parts of the United States (and sometimes other countries!) to play in competitive tournaments. I also like to learn the guitar and drum parts of some of my favorite songs.Project ideas
How have different countries tried to police social media during emergencies?
A number of worldwide, history-altering emergencies and crises have occurred in our recent lifetimes, and events like the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the 2008 Financial Crisis have all greatly affected our lives, in ways we notice and in ways we might not. In this project a student could pick one, two, or three countries, and examine how they have attempted to regulate and police social media during a recent economic, military, legal, or public health crisis. This sort of comparative analysis will provide a student with the awareness, skills, and resources they would need to better understand these and other impactful events in the future.