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The United States is often celebrated as the world’s leading example of representative government. However, we as a nation barely inspire half of our voters to show up for a national election—leaving U.S. voter participation among the lowest in the developed world. Americans don’t vote for a variety of reasons; however, one of the most common reasons is the growing frustration with our obtuse electoral process. From the arbitrary scheduling of primaries to the antiquated use of the Electoral Co

The Center for Public Integrity has evaluated all 50 states and found them lacking on issues of integrity and ethics, giving Alaska the highest grade of "C," while failing 11 other states. Each state was assessed the same, by measuring the states on 13 separate criterion, ranging from openness and access to records to management of state pensions. What this study really tells us is one of two things: 1) the states have a long way to go to improve their credibility and ethics with their citizen

Last week, a subcommittee in the Illinois State Senate began hearing testimony on a bill to alter the state's voter registration process. If passed, the bill would automatically register people to vote when they renew or apply for a driver's license or state identification card. In promoting Senate Bill 2134, Sen. Andy Manar, a Democrat from Bunker Hill, said the Illinois automatic voter registration bill is designed to streamline the process: "The current process creates an unnecessary barrie

Last week, California Republican Kevin McCarthy abruptly scratched himself from the list of Republican members of Congress seeking the Speaker of the House position. McCarthy, widely hailed as a more moderate Republican (we gave him a Crowdpac score of 5.2), was the clear favorite to replace Ohio Republican and current Speaker of the House, John Boehner. Now that he’s out of the way, winning the Speaker’s position is any man’s game.So, who else is vying for this now wide open position?Nearly hal

In Illinois, an incumbent will possibly be facing a serious primary challenger for the first time in his nearly twenty-year political career. As reported recently on IVN, Illinois U.S. Rep. John Shimkus of the 15th congressional district announced he was running for an eleventh term, further breaking a promise not to serve more than six. Challenging Shimkus is State Sen. Kyle McCarter of Lebanon. Serving in Springfield since 2009, McCarter, whose term expires in 2018, is not running for re-ele

US. Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), elected in 2010 after five terms in the House of Representatives, may be facing a challenge from within his own party. James Marter, a 52-year-old computer analyst with no political experience, is formally challenging the incumbent. In a campaign leaflet, Marter says he is running because: "Kirk is one of the most liberal Republicans in the Senate. He is a full-blown social liberal who supports taxpayer-funding for abortions and the entire gay marriage agenda, i

"The medium is the message." Of the countless theories, concepts, and aphorisms generated by academia within the last half-century, few have been as insightful or as influential as the notion that "the medium is the message." Coined by the Canadian intellectual Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980) in the 1960s, this concept refers to the way that the content of any communication is largely shaped by the medium through which it is transmitted. To put it another way, the form that a message takes will g

The latest headlines on nonpartisan voting rights from California and across the nation. Enjoy. Lawmakers, Election Experts Talk Voting Rights At CA Nonpartisan Primary Summit / Elections summit takes stock of California’s nonpartisan, top-two primary reform Sources: IVN and CA Fwd My Take:  Straight forward, these two pretty much tell the story of the Summit, held in Sacramento and co-sponsored by the Independent Voter Project and California Forward. Letter from Nationwide Legislators: We

In Illinois' 15th Congressional District, a candidate once favoring term limits will be running again. Last Thursday, U.S. Representative John Shimkus, a Republican from Collinsville, announced he will be running for an eleventh term. Citing the need to collect sufficient petition signatures, Shimkus said, "It is an honor and privilege to represent the people of the 15th district in Washington, D.C., and I do not take that responsibility lightly." The announcement was unsurprising, but notewor

Update: This article has been updated to include the Independent Map Amendment's response to the People's Map mailer. ILLINOIS - People's Map, a group formed by partisan-dominated interests, is opposing redistricting reform backed by the Independent Map Amendment to implement independent redistricting in Illinois. The reform, resurrected by the Independent Map movement, would place the power of redrawing state House and Senate districts into the hands of an independent commission. People's Map