Start with five lists from recent headlines (in no particular order):

March 2014—the governments of the United States and Russia engage in a tête-à-têteover Crimea that revolves, largely, around lists. An executive order from US President Barack Obama ‘black lists’ eleven officials of the Russian government as well as ‘any individual or entity that operates in the Russian arms industry, and any designated individual or entity that acts on behalf of, or that provides material or other support to, any senior Russian government official.’ In response, Russia releases a list of Americans no longer welcome for business, diplomatic, or leisure purposes. Neither list proves effective in addressing the immediate issue of Russia's annexation of Crimea, but both are economical nuggets of information easily digested by the 24-hour news cycle.

April 2014—changes to the Canadian Navigable Waters Protection Act (NWPA), proposed by Stephen Harper's Conservative government in its 2012 omnibus budget bill C-45, take effect. The NWPA—an Act in which the default status for Canadian waterways was environmental protection under common law—becomes the Navigation Protection Act. Waterway protection is reconfigured under the new act around economic interests and enforced by a new ‘List of Scheduled Waters’. This list denies protection to 99.7 per cent of Canada's lakes and 99.9 per cent of its rivers. Notable exclusions are the Kitimat and Upper Fraser Rivers, which lay along the path of the proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline. Notable inclusions for protection are cottage country lakes in British Columbia and Ontario, where ‘powerboat owners will maintain unfettered navigation protections.’ Protection is now exception; exception is granted by the ‘List of Scheduled Waters’.

November 2015—While campaigning for the 2016 Republican Presidential nomination, Donald Trump replies ‘Oh, I would certainly implement that—absolutely,’ when asked if the United States should create a database of Muslims in the country. He adds that he would employ ‘good management procedures’ to get Muslims entered into the database.