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1. Illinois Times runs op-ed saying open primaries and redistricting reform would help ease partisan gridlock in Washington. "Open primaries would help moderate the nation’s politics, as would bipartisan redistricting commissions capable of doing away with gerrymandered districts. Increasing voter participation and improving the integrity of our elections would also help. " The only problem is we are not defining what "moderate the nation's politics" actually means, and we have to distinguish

On Monday, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) published an op-ed in the New York Times declaring that in order to “save America” it was necessary to “end partisan primaries.” In the article, Schumer said that his motivation stemmed from the increasingly problematic polarization of Washington politics, which is exacerbated by a primary system where energized ideologically-driven groups turn out in droves and push candidates to even further extremes to court these voters. Schumer, instead, c

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 advertisements. In April 2012, the FCC decided in a 2-1 vote to require the four biggest broadcast networks -- ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox -- to make public their contracts with purchasers of ad time. Since August 2012, the FCC has run a website that allows viewers to search these purchases by network and to view contract information, i

It’s no secret that the Keystone issue is a political powder keg. Neither is it a secret that it’s a controversial topic pitting two traditional foes: environmentalists versus big oil. Very murky, however, is what benefit Keystone XL offers the United States.As in so many situations, in order to understand the present, we need to understand the past and Keystone has a bit of a checkered and rapidly evolving past. With blinding speed, progress on the Keystone project began in 2005 when it was pr

For the 46.5 million Americans living below the poverty line, 16 million of which are children, life has become a consistent struggle. This struggle does not simply begin and end with monetary concerns, but in fact surrounds both a physical and mental exertion of the individual.Using the national U.S. census and NCCP, researchers found that in 2013, the poverty line rested at $11,490, a number which equates an individual working full time while only making $5.00 – far below the national minimum

Idaho attorney Gary Allen clearly recalls how he was received by state legislators when a federal district judge ruled that the state’s open primary system was unconstitutional. “I stood in front of the legislative committee and told them, ‘You don’t have to do this,’” he said in an interview. “It isn’t in the interest of the voters or democracy or the state." "I might as well have been talking to a wall,” he added. Allen, a partner with a Boise-based law firm, saw his coalition group lose th

The United States is once again in the middle of a major election year and in many elections, people will go the polls with only two options to choose from -- red or blue, Republican or Democrat. The problem is a majority of Americans do not believe either major political party represents America. According to the latest Rasmussen poll, 53 percent of likely voters believe "neither party in Congress is the party of the American people." While some may dispute the results of a single poll, furthe

In the GOP’s attempt to retake the Senate in 2014 the way they reclaimed the House 4 years earlier there are already several authentic battleground states from Alaska to Louisiana. New Hampshire is not exactly grouped with those tough races, but Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen may have a difficult time nonetheless. New Hampshire, the first primary state in presidential election cycles, is a significant state not only because of its primary position, but because the primary is open to independ

First, it's important to note the implied marriage between foreign policy and national security. Foreign policy is designed to promote national interests abroad and national security is designed to protect a nation from foreign threats. There has been a tremendous transformation within the U.S. since its inception in the way it approaches national security. Leaders, geography, popular sentiment, and technology have all played pivotal roles in shaping the nation's ever-evolving security policies

Over the long weekend, I got to thinking about leadership and about U.S. presidents -- both past and present. Our country has celebrated 44 presidents, and while good and bad decisions were made, the tremendous achievements of our leaders are undeniable. Biases aside, our former presidents possessed traits of leadership, commitment, and dedication to our country that are timeless. In identifying these traits, we can better build an ideal for future leaders. Leading our country to independence,