The Journal of Interdisciplinary Public Policy is a youth-led left-of-center media organization that publishes policy commentary. Its articles have promoted using identity politics as a basis for public policy and frequently denounce capitalism. ¹

The Journal of Interdisciplinary Public Policy publishes quarterly issues and blog posts. Each issue focuses on a specific topic and how various disciplines can contribute to public policy advocacy. ²

Background

The Journal of Interdisciplinary Public Policy was created in 2020 by a high-school student named Maanas Sharma. The journal is run exclusively by high school and college students, and Sharma claims it was created to publish political policy commentary by students of various backgrounds, ideologies, and disciplines. ³

The Journal of Interdisciplinary Public Policy publishes articles promoting far-left ideologies, including some that denounce free markets and capitalism as oppressive, promote the identity politics concept of intersectionality as a basis for public policy, promote environmentalism, and support the use of the market in coordination with government organizations to accomplish social goods. ^{4 5 6}

Publications

In March 2021, the Journal of Interdisciplinary Public Policy published an issue titled, “The Evolution of Liberty,” that includes articles promoting the use of intersectionality as a basis for public policy, arguing all so-called oppressed groups must be accommodated to promote liberty. ⁷ Within the issue, one article titled, “Decolonization and the Materialist Evolution of Liberty,” stated European nations colonized the Native Americans, who supposedly lived in a communist-like society, and used capitalism to force them to build an  the natives to build empires for the sole benefit of European governments. It criticizes the use of capitalism and argues that liberty does not exist in capitalist systems. ⁸

In September 2021, founder and editor-in-chief Maanas Sharma published an article examining the use of private companies to conduct space exploration. The article is skeptical of the ability of private companies to accomplish public goods and describes capitalism as having “shortcomings” that can prevent it from producing an outcome positive for society. ⁹

The journal’s winter 2021 issue focused on environmentalist issues, research, and public policy recommendations. It was led by founder and editor-in-chief Maanas Sharma. ¹⁰ The article “A Tipping Point: Man and Nature” criticized former President Donald Trump’s decisions to back out of the Paris Climate Agreement, eliminate policies that restricted the operations of conventional energy companies, and argued that Trump left a “dying environment” when he left office. ¹¹

Leadership

Maanas Sharma is the founder and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Interdisciplinary Public Policy. He also is the director of finance for Redefy, a progressive-left media company. ¹² As of June 2022, Sharma is an undergraduate student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. ¹³

1. “Our Vision: Public Policy for & by Students: Jipp.” The Journal of Interdisciplinary Public Policy. Accessed June 6, 2022. https://jipp.org/our-vision.
2. “Publications: Public Policy for & by Students.” The Journal of Interdisciplinary Public Policy. Accessed June 6, 2022. https://jipp.org/published.
3. “Meet Maanas Sharma: Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Interdisciplinary Public Policy.” SHOUTOUT DFW. May 3, 2021. https://shoutoutdfw.com/meet-maanas-sharma-editor-in-chief-journal-of-interdisciplinary-public-policy/.
4. Ma, Haiyue, and Ned Lindedmayer. “Decolonization and the Materialist Evolution of Liberty: Public Policy for & by Students: Jipp.” The Journal of Interdisciplinary Public Policy. The Journal of Interdisciplinary Public Policy, March 19, 2021. https://jipp.org/read/liberty-decolonization-and-the-materialist-evolution-of-liberty.
5. Sharma, Maanas. “The Privatized Frontier: The Ethical Implications and Role of Private Companies in Space Exploration.” The Space Review. September 7, 2021. https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4238/1.
6. “2(1): Perspectives in Climate Change: Public Policy for & by Students: Jipp.” The Journal of Interdisciplinary Public Policy. Accessed June 6, 2022. https://jipp.org/publications/2-1.
7. “Special Issue: The Evolution of Liberty: Public Policy for & by Students: Jipp.” The Journal of Interdisciplinary Public Policy. Accessed June 6, 2022. https://jipp.org/publications/the-evolution-of-liberty.
8. Ma, Haiyue, and Ned Lindedmayer. “Decolonization and the Materialist Evolution of Liberty: Public Policy for & by Students: Jipp.” The Journal of Interdisciplinary Public Policy. The Journal of Interdisciplinary Public Policy. March 19, 2021. https://jipp.org/read/liberty-decolonization-and-the-materialist-evolution-of-liberty.
9. Sharma, Maanas. “The Privatized Frontier: The Ethical Implications and Role of Private Companies in Space Exploration.” The Space Review. September 7, 2021. https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4238/1.
10. “2(1): Perspectives in Climate Change: Public Policy for & by Students: Jipp.” The Journal of Interdisciplinary Public Policy. Accessed June 6, 2022. https://jipp.org/publications/2-1.
11. Wang, Emily. “A Tipping Point: Man and Nature.” The Journal of Interdisciplinary Public Policy. The Journal of Interdisciplinary Public Policy. February 12, 2021. https://jipp.org/read/2-1-a-tipping-point.
12. “Maanas Sharma.” Redefy. Accessed June 6, 2022. https://www.redefy.org/people/maanas-sharma.
13. “Maanas Sharma.” LinkedIn. Accessed June 6, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/maanas-sharma.