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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONqcBKhikfk The right to keep and bear arms may be the single most controversial and most contentious right listed in our Bill of Rights.Much of the root of that contention is in understanding what the founders and framers actually meant. What is the Second Amendment really about? This is a Reality Check you won’t get anywhere else. So many questions over the Second Amendment: is the amendment outdated? If the Founders and Framers had been aware of the kind o

In Utah, a federal judge will soon decide if the state's open primary system for the nomination of candidates is unconstitutional. The case could have dramatic implications on the future of primary elections, which have become the most important stage of the election process. U.S. District Judge David Nuffer mentioned Tuesday that he intends to find that forcing political parties to open their primary elections to unaffiliated voters violates the First Amendment right of political parties to pr

On Tuesday, former Virginia U.S. Senator Jim Webb ended his bid for the Democratic nomination for president, while also leaving the door open for an independent run. Webb, a former Republican whose views are more conservative than many Democrats, never found momentum as a Democratic presidential candidate. He indicated his interest in running as an independent however, stating, "Poll after poll shows that a strong plurality of Americans is neither Republican nor Democrat. Overwhelmingly they're

The latest headlines on nonpartisan voting rights from across the nation. Enjoy. Who Controls Primary Elections, And Who Gets To Vote? Source: Jonathan Stahl, Constitution Daily My Take: A good piece on its surface, but even better if you get into the weeds of the various links and additional stories/information on our primary systems. Group Tries To Replicate Nonpartisan Nebraska Elections In Arizona Source: Mark Brodie, KJZZ 91.5 My Take: Relax your eyes and let your ears takeover for

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

Democratic California Governor Jerry Brown signed two bills into law on Thursday that strengthen Californians’ digital privacy protections. Senate Bill 178, the California Electronic Privacy Act (CalEPCA), prevents state-level investigators from obtaining a suspect’s digital communications without first securing a warrant. The law also mandates that California law enforcement agencies procure a warrant before compelling tech companies, many of which are headquartered in the state, to turn over

I have been writing for IVN since the summer of 2014. Though my academic background is in political science, I can confidently say I have learned more about American politics in this one year of researching and writing for you (the readers) than I have in my six years in higher education. Over this time, I must confess, many of my beliefs have remained the same. I still believe that America, despite its history of having committed many unjust actions in its foreign policy, is and can be a posi

On August 15, delegates from the Utah Republican Party gathered to vote on measures ranging from how candidates compete for the party’s nomination to who can be rightfully considered a party member. The changes adopted within Utah’s GOP could affect whether candidates not backed by the state’s dominant party will be able to compete for elected office. In Utah, the parties operate using the caucus and convention system (CCS). Caucus goers select delegates to represent them at nominating convent

Residents of Utah are preparing for a different system for selecting general election candidates, but a third party is teaming up with a major party to maintain the status quo. "Count My Vote," a plan to introduce a primary for candidates with sufficient signatures alongside the caucus-convention process, passed the Republican-dominated legislature in 2014. In the state's traditional caucus process, a candidate who received 60% of the delegates at the caucus would have his or her name automatic

California's existing election system for Congress and state office could be improved with the following ideas. The problem with the status quo is that ever since it went into effect in 2011, there has been very limited choice on the November ballot. So far, no independent or minor party candidate has appeared on the November ballot for statewide office. Each statewide office in November has been between one Democrat and one Republican, with no write-in space. In November 2014, California vote