Articles by Mac Vanandel

Congress is debating whether to repeal the Affordable Care Act or improve it, but there is a third option that has gained serious momentum. Americans are more supportive now of a single-payer type health care system than ever before. According to a recent Pew poll, 60% of Americans believe it is the government’s responsibility to provide health coverage to all Americans. Similarly, 60% of Americans now support expanding Medicare to cover all Americans, according to a June Quinnipiac poll. That ...

The California Senate passed legislation earlier this month to implement a single-payer health care system. The bill's passage was warmly received by progressives, but others have raised concerns about funding. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon last week issued a statement saying he would not advance the bill and that it would remain in committee "until further notice." Rendon cited "financing" as a reason he would not pursue the bill. Despite wide support among Californians, the bill has been h...

Democrat Rob Quist was defeated by Republican Greg Gianforte Thursday night in a special election for Montana’s at-large congressional seat, a state President Donald Trump won by 20 points in November. A progressive movement largely inspired by Bernie Sanders, however, rallied to bring Thursday's race within single digits. Montana is considered a deep red state. Yet Quist ran as a progressive endorsed by Sen. Sanders and campaigned on positions to the left of the Democratic Party. He only lost ...

There has been a lot buzz in Washington lately over the new leaks coming out of the Trump administration, as well as the ongoing investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. However, a recent story that has gone largely unreported could potentially have rather large implications concerning the election results this past November, more so than Russian interferences. Earlier this month, Ari Berman wrote an article for The Nation in which he reported on a new study ...

With the summer fast approaching, and as establishment leaders in both parties frantically try to simmer the flames of the primary chaos, there is still a chance that this election could become even more unconventional than it already is. At the moment both parties are in sticky situations as the establishment wing of the parties are either completely underwater or desperately treading water. With both Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio out of the race, and with Gov. John Kasich having just 147 delegates...

U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) are the first two candidates to officially announce their candidacy in the 2016 presidential election. They are two of the most interesting, dynamic, and polarizing figures in American politics today. Both men have striking similarities in their approach to politics and governing, as well as the voters they appeal to. However, there are also several key differences between the two that will distinguish and define their presidential campaign...

There has been much discussion regarding rising inequality in America. According to a Gallup poll, 67 percent of Americans are dissatisfied with wealth distribution today. This issue has gained traction recently with the release of French economist Thomas Piketty's book, Capital in the Twenty-First Century. Just last month, IVN author David Yee wrote an article asking if the continued economic inequality would "bring out the pitchforks." The common narrative nowadays is that the rich are gett...

On June 24, incumbent Mississippi U.S. Senator Thad Cochran managed to overcome his primary challenger, state Senator Chris McDaniel, in the state's runoff election. McDaniel, heavily backed by the tea party, narrowly defeated Cochran on June 3, but failed to gain a majority of the vote. Heading into the runoff, McDaniel seemed to have the momentum on his side as a statewide poll showed him leading by 8 points. Cochran, however, managed to put together a last minute coalition of voters -- branc...

What seemed like a long and daunting uphill battle just a few years ago, now seems like an inevitable reality. In the last 11 months, 14 states have had their bans on same-sex marriage struck down, and same-sex marriage is now legal in 18 states, including the District of Columbia. Just this week, both Oregon and Pennsylvania had their bans on same-sex marriage overturned by federal judges for being unconstitutional. Both Oregon and Pennsylvania state officials have declined to defend the laws ...