Articles by Andy Smith

South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard signed a bill dramatically changing the laws governing ballot access for Independent candidates just months after an Independent took 17% of the vote in a statewide election. The bill, Senate Bill 69, an act to revise certain provisions regarding elections and election petitions, specifically addresses how many signatures an Independent candidate must collect to get on the ballot, and who is allowed to sign the candidate's petition. The bill prevents any r...

The partisan fracturing of American politics is a topic of frequent debate and discussion. Politics is becoming increasingly personal, and antipathy between ideologies is on the rise. As activists and politicos work to solve this crisis in Washington and on Main Street, Americans may find inspiration in the oft maligned little brother of U.S. sports: the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team. In America, athletic success on the international stage has become a reflection of our status as a global sup...

In the wake of last week's startling upset of Eric Cantor, it would be easy to believe that the political middle will once again be left out in the cold. Yet something unique is happening this primary season. Political moderates, the perennial underdogs of party primaries, the forgotten footnotes to the partisan favorites, are mobilizing. It's a trend across the country, seen not just in the Republican backlash against the tea party, but in independent candidates and unique, moderate Democrats. ...

In the current political climate, new policy ideas are often stifled in favor of political entrenchment. As a result, candidates rarely challenge the ideas of their party, choosing partisanship over policy innovation. Yet in California, two candidates, one Republican and one Democrat, are challenging the norms of their party and grabbing national headlines doing so. Ro Khanna is challenging fellow Democrat Mike Honda for California's 17th district. Mike Honda was first elected to Congress in 20...