Andrew Gripp - Independent Voter News (Page 4)

Author Interview Uncovers 'Real' Motive for War on Drugs

In the early 1990s, journalist Dan Baum interviewed Nixon aide John Ehrlichman while doing research for a book on the effects of drug prohibition. Ehrlichman had served as a domestic

By Andrew Gripp

April 1, 2016

How Well is the Media Vetting Donald Trump?

But quantity does not necessarily imply quality. While coverage has been abundant, it is worth exploring the nature of that coverage, and, specifically, whether the media is adequately vetting Trump

By Andrew Gripp

March 31, 2016

Justifying Egalitarianism: G.A. Cohen’s Socialist Critique of John Rawls' Liberalism

In 1999, President Bill Clinton praised the philosopher John Rawls (1921-2002) – who had just received the National Humanities Medal – for his contributions to liberal political thought. Clinton applauded Rawls

By Andrew Gripp

March 10, 2016

Understanding the Oregon Standoff: Do the Occupiers Have a Legitimate Grievance?

The standoff in Oregon that began on January 2 appears to have reached its conclusion. On Tuesday, January 26, several occupiers of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge were arrested, and

By Andrew Gripp

February 4, 2016

Can Trump Help Fix a 'Broken' System He Took Part In For Decades?

Though Donald Trump has raised and spent considerably less than many of his Republican rivals in the 2016 election season, Trump has never shied away from injecting money into the

By Andrew Gripp

January 28, 2016

Plutocrats United: The Impact of Citizens United Isn't Simply About Corruption... It's About Political Equality

In recent years, few Supreme Court decisions have been as controversial – or as consequential – as the ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission in 2010, in which the 5-

By Andrew Gripp

January 19, 2016

Superdelegates: How Democratic Leaders Maintain Control of the Candidate Selection Process

Though the first caucuses and primaries are still weeks away, Hillary Clinton already has a significant lead in the race for the Democratic Party's nomination. According to a

By Andrew Gripp

January 7, 2016

El Bipartidismo ha Muerto: What Spain Can Teach Us About Disrupting Two-Party Politics

Since the end of the Franco dictatorship in the mid 1970s, Spanish national politics has largely been dominated by two political parties: the conservative People's Party (PP) and

By Andrew Gripp

January 4, 2016

The First Amendment You Know Was Not The One Proposed by the Founders

We all know that the Bill of Rights enshrined in the Constitution contains ten amendments. However, it is less well known that the Bill of Rights sent to the states

By Andrew Gripp

September 9, 2015

One Year Later: 6 Reflections of an Independent Author

I have been writing for IVN since the summer of 2014. Though my academic background is in political science, I can confidently say I have learned more about American politics

By Andrew Gripp

September 3, 2015

IVN Exclusive Interview: Florida Lawmaker Wants to Take Redistricting out of Partisan Hands

"Let the lines fall fair." This is the message from Florida state Representative Evan Jenne (D-Dania Beach). During an interview with IVN, Rep. Jenne discussed his proposal

By Andrew Gripp

August 27, 2015

Do Multi-Member Districts Improve Representation in State Legislatures?

While Congress has twice mandated the use of single-member districts (SMD) for electing members of Congress (once in 1842 and again in 1967), state legislatures are at liberty to

By Andrew Gripp

August 26, 2015