Andrew Gripp - Independent Voter News (Page 9)

America's Welfare System Is Failing Those Most in Need

According to one comprehensive study, the national poverty rate was approximately 27 percent in 1967: without decades of welfare programs, that rate would have risen to 29 percent by 2011

By Andrew Gripp

/ July 16, 2014

America's Welfare System Is Failing Those Most in Need

Gerrymandering Reduces Competition, Fuels Partisanship in House Elections

According to a Washington Post Election Lab projection from May 2014, an incumbent in 405 of the 435 House contests has a 90 percent chance or greater of winning his

By Andrew Gripp

/ July 14, 2014

Gerrymandering Reduces Competition, Fuels Partisanship in House Elections

How Reliable Are Fact Check Sources?

In 2011, New York Times columnist Paul Krugman lamented that the proliferation of half-true statements and fallacious accusations during the 2012 presidential campaign had inaugurated an era of "post-truth

By Andrew Gripp

/ July 11, 2014

Midterm Ads Test Messages with Help From Pollsters, Stretch Truth

During Clinton’s uphill re-election campaign in 1996, the president relied heavily on the aid of pollsters. With the help of strategists such as Doug Schoen, Dick Morris, and Mark

By Andrew Gripp

/ July 10, 2014

Midterm Ads Test Messages with Help From Pollsters, Stretch Truth

Some States Using New GPI Indicator to Measure Well-Being, Shape Policy

Several states are adopting an alternative approach to measure their citizens' well-being and shape public policy. In 2012, Vermont became the first state to pass a law mandating the

By Andrew Gripp

/ July 9, 2014

Some States Using New GPI Indicator to Measure Well-Being, Shape Policy

FCC Rule Goes into Effect, Increases Ad Transparency Before Midterms

On July 1, 2014, part of a 2012 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rule became active that will make it easier for voters to know who is paying for political TV

By Andrew Gripp

/ July 7, 2014

FCC Rule Goes into Effect, Increases Ad Transparency Before Midterms

Revolving Door Between K Street and Congress Continues Despite Regulations

Few quid pro quos are as apparent as when McDonald’s CEO, Ray Kroc, donated $250,000 to President Nixon in 1972 in return for an exemption from price control

By Andrew Gripp

/ July 2, 2014

Revolving Door Between K Street and Congress Continues Despite Regulations

Lobbyists Spend over $3 Billion a Year to Influence Legislation

In American folklore, it is President Grant who coined the term “lobbyists” to designate those influence peddlers who attempted to bribe him with whiskey and cigars during his jaunts to

By Andrew Gripp

/ July 1, 2014

Lobbyists Spend over $3 Billion a Year to Influence Legislation

States, Cities Considering Drastic Measures to Manage Public Pension Crises

David Crane, an adviser to former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, declared in 2010 that public pension crises nationwide represent “the largest single financial issue facing state and local governments."

By Andrew Gripp

/ June 27, 2014

States, Cities Considering Drastic Measures to Manage Public Pension Crises

ISIS Expansion in Iraq: Spillover from Syrian Civil War

The rapid expansion of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) across Iraq is leading to sectarian violence on a scale not seen in the country in years.

By Andrew Gripp

/ June 26, 2014

ISIS Expansion in Iraq: Spillover from Syrian Civil War

Why the Supreme Court Should Rule Against Hobby Lobby

The Supreme Court will soon decide in Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby the legality of the mandate under Obamacare that for-profit institutions must insure contraceptive care for their female employees. Dozens

By Andrew Gripp

/ June 25, 2014

Why the Supreme Court Should Rule Against Hobby Lobby

The Centrist Temptation: A Rebuttal to Political Moderation

In recent years, several if not dozens of moderate or centrist groups have popped up. Their appearance is an understandable response to reflexive partisanship and political dysfunction. However, the call

By Andrew Gripp

/ June 24, 2014

The Centrist Temptation: A Rebuttal to Political Moderation