Search query: vermont

It is perhaps rarer than a blue moon that both major U.S. political parties agree on something. However, on this point, at least, there is consensus between Democrats and Republicans: The food stamps program must change. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—referred to colloquially as “food stamps”—offers 46 million Americans government assistance for food. According to the program website: SNAP offers nutrition assistance to millions of eligible, low-income individuals and fam

In a historic move, President Barack Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit a federal prison, in an effort to draw national attention to the need for reform in the American criminal justice system. "These are young people who made mistakes that aren't that different than the mistakes I made and the mistakes that a lot of you guys made. The difference is they did not have the kinds of support structures, the second chances, the resources that would allow them to survive those mis

In June, Bernie Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont and candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, made waves in the world of political punditry when he suggested in a letter to the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee that the party should sanction more primary debates, and that some of those debates should even include Republican candidates for the presidency. Paul Singer of USA Today wrote at the time that “Sanders said inter-party debates would show a clear co

It’s tough to imagine a scenario in which both U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) are nominated by their respective parties in the 2016 presidential race. But in a hypothetical world where Sanders and Paul are both nominated, there would be significant overlap in their supporters, just as there is with their platforms. Already in New Hampshire, where unaffiliated and independent voters can vote in either primary, Sanders and Paul are targeting similar supporters. Ron Pau

The presidential primary game is one of momentum, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is playing it surprisingly well. Starting from the position of political gadfly and surging to legitimate contender for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, Sanders has shocked the stage with record-setting crowds, a massive fundraising haul of over $15 million (which, for a campaign that draws its fundraising from small donors and refuses super PAC contributions, is not to be ignored) and strong polling g

Bernie Sanders, the 73-year-old independent Vermont senator and 2016 presidential candidate, has taken the Internet by storm, earning the title “king of social media” and "Facebook royalty." The online success of Sen. Sanders can be summed up in one, simple word: Authenticity. Authenticity: noun, the quality of being authentic; genuineness. His posts do not follow what the so-called “experts” have pronounced as the equation for success and he breaks almost every rule provided by Facebook Best

As the number of Republican presidential candidates grows on a seemingly daily basis, the Democratic field is slowly becoming more crowded. It now includes Hillary Clinton, Martin O'Malley, Lincoln Chafee, and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). While Sanders entered the race as a distant second to Clinton, his campaign has gained momentum. Nevertheless, in the months ahead, his campaign will face three particular challenges. One potential challenge for Sanders could be gaining ballot access across the co

In the United States, every citizen over the age of 18 has the right to vote a congressman or congresswoman into office to represent the interests of his or her district -- except for roughly 650,000 citizens who have the misfortune of living within a 100 square mile grid surrounding the nation’s capitol. Although the city of Washington, D.C. has a congresswoman -- U.S. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton -- she is a non-voting delegate. Unlike territories like Guam or Puerto Rico that also have a non-v

Since the movement launched in 2006, National Popular Vote has made significant progress to reform the way Americans elect their president. The group's plan involves a state-by-state approach. States that join the National Popular Voter Interstate Compact (NPVIC) agree that rather than having their electors cast their ballots for president according to whichever candidate won the most votes in their respective states, the electors will instead vote for the candidate who won the most votes natio

There has been yet another mass murder using a gun in the U.S., and now we have the inevitable reiteration of the arguments for and against ‘gun control.’ To my mind, all we need to wrap this up is to read the Second Amendment and do what it says. Here it is: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." - Second Amendment, U.S. Constitution There is no avoiding some interpretation. The amend