a lot of voters get upset when it comes down to the lesser of two evils in the general election. this is exactly what the electoral system produces, rather than encouraging candidates to appeal to a broader base

that’s a noble aspiration but I think the reality of not just the american political process but politics in general is such that more rigid affiliations like party structures are an inevitability. the key for me

Thanks Richard, it was quite the trek, slogging through the various secretary of state websites. I’m really blown away no one compiles all this data in one central place already.

I’ve seen far fewer Democrats looking to buck the party line but they are still out there. Would be great to look into who’s trying to pull the two sides together on the blue side of the aisle.

I dont know about the claims specifically, but often the Social Security political football is used on both sides to scare voters. A closer look at any candidate claiming such things is almost always warranted

I think if polling groups added some nuance to their abortion surveys we’d see a lot more consensus on the issue.

I don’t see why energy production needs to be zero sum. A healthy mixture of solar, nuclear, wind and hydro is a pragmatic solution

how are the two houses so disparate in the balance of power? are district lines really drawn that far out of whack?

if you’re at all interested in getting people under 30 to vote for you, social media should be an important focus of your campaign presence

it’s quite a stretch, her claim that the experiment was scientific. Even if there was an assignment from class relating to the incident (which i dont think there was), any rational science teacher would have

Pension reform and healthcare reform are the two biggest financial issues that boomers are leaving behind. I think an innovative idea here is the only thing that can solve it.

Hey Rozum, I recommend you take a look at the other piece examining the issue here – http://ivn.us/penigma/2013/06/17/was-what-kiera-wilmot-did-science/
And if you continue to disagree I highly recommend

how the process was ever controlled by the parties is beyond me

Very interesting analysis guys. It can be hard to extrapolate trends based on only one data set, but comparing across states and with different sectors like incumbency turn over and NPP candidates.

In middle school i was in this program called Design Based Learning. I think it was kind of experimental at the time, but it was so much easier to learn in that environment compared to a ‘normal’ class structure.

what really should be the focus of any curriculum is critical thinking. I think a lot of curriculum’s leave this out in favor of teaching to the test, common core or not

I’m curious to know how many voters prefer principle over political expediency. Even if a politician ‘flip-flops’ into my camp on an issue, depending on the issue, I may prefer a candidate with more integrity.

I think the historical context is very important Thomas. It would take a global investment to try and ‘fix’ things and even then doing to may not be the moral or just or even prudent thing to do

as you point out, humans have a natural predisposition to cling to our ‘tribal’ in-group rather than accept those from the outside. I think this is a really fascinating socio-evolutionary construct, an instinctual

this is a great perspective here. It says alot about how many media outlets are quick to craft a popular narrative rather than let the facts lead where they may. Again, I’m glad Kiera was able to get out of this

If history is any indicator I cannot see any real benefits to actively arming the rebels. It’s a horrific situation and the emphasis should really be on humanitarian aid. Why it is our responsibility to police the

“However, it will be the first time since the 2007-08 school year that education won’t experience a budget cut.” Could this be the bottom of the barrel for stretching students?

this is a strange conundrum for Independents, it’s kind of a weird irony forming a party under the “I” banner but at a certain point the benefits of organized structure are too important to ignore

ive found it very interesting how some minor parties aren’t enthused by this system. It’s not as though they were thriving under the old one

In my opinion, the whole point about being an independent is that you DON’T belong to a party…you don’t vote based on a party platform, you vote based on issue. An Independent party kind of goes against what, in

i think this is an opportunity for some serious innovation in the energy world.

the SAPR program seems like it might be worth looking into further. Agencies with limited resources can often turn a little into a lot, or rather, they’re incredibly wasteful. either way i think itd be interesting

I dont know how realistic a demand that is, abolishing the IRS. Sure it’s an overly complex, burdensome, and a historical bastion for government abuse, but at the end of the day an industrialized society needs a

this has been a noted problem for a while now. It shouldn’t be a tall order to ask for a temporary moratorium to see if there really is a causal link.

I cant!

its a scary thought that someone would be able to hack into my house appliances. What’s wrong with just having a normal fridge? It’s a simple concept, if you’re low on food, remember to go buy more or write it

exactly. the protocols for determining who is what are difficult to read even for experienced legal types. The whole IRS thing was just a disaster waiting to happen and without any reforms it is sure to happen

the amount of personal data a smart phone can contain is absolutely staggering

Political organizing seems like it’s fallen by the wayside. It shouldnt be a cumbersome process to petition grievances in a peaceful manner

great point. How about no drones over our heads? a lot of people just accept that its necessary when we’ve gotten along just fine without them.

the drug war has a funny way of using language to delegitimize the industry, one one hand these people are ‘investors’ but on the other they’d be considered embezzlers

I think the GOP brand is still too tarnished in some of the more traditionally blue states. This could set the stage for moderate conservatives, who run as independents with strong privacy positions to take seats back.

the judiciary’s unwillingness to tackle the privacy question is rendering the third essential check and balance to our system mute. It’s like playing rock paper scissors but you can only choose rock or paper

“President Obama said he’s ready to have a discussion of secret wiretaps. There is no discussion to be had. It is a blatant violation of his oath of office.” I think its interesting how Obama is framing it that

this is really one of the biggest hurdles the international space has to face for the next 100 years. the digitial frontier has essentially few rules and even fewer ‘cops’ to enforce them.

what goes on during that 90 days for the Judge to issue a ruling? does he/she deliberate on his/her own?

Would it work if perhaps it was left up to an independent agency? or even an oversight committee in the legislature