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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

As a non-presidential election year, voter turnout in 2014 is not likely to be very high. Congressional approval remains below 15 percent. North Carolina voter turnout is expected to be less than 20 percent. If recent trends continue, the average primary turnout this election will hover around the record low of 17.3 percent in 2012. In light of these dim numbers, a group of independent voters is organizing what they call a "Voting Rights are Primary" campaign. They will be picketing and distrib

A national discussion regarding the state of civil rights in the U.S. exploded after racial comments made by Clippers owner Donald Sterling were made public, followed by news that he has been banned for life from the NBA.However, another story broke on the same day NBA Commissioner Adam Silver held his press conference that might be even more important for the future of civil rights in the country: a federal court struck down Wisconsin’s voter ID law. The law first passed in 2011, as a measure

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 response to the Obama administration's drone policy, a bipartisan team has introduced legislation to compel annual reports regarding their use. U.S. Representative Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, introduced the "Targeted Lethal Force Transparency Act" last week, which is cosponsored by Rep. Walter Jones, a North Carolina Republican. A Schiff press release said the purpose of the bill is to: "Require an annual report on the number of combatants and civilians killed or injured annually by

In North Carolina's 3rd Congressional District, a long-time incumbent is facing a primary challenge this April. Known for his initial support for the 2003 Iraq War and his re-branding of French fries as "Freedom Fries," Republican U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, Jr. is facing a potentially well-financed primary opponent -- consulting firm founder Taylor Griffin. Before starting his firm, Hamilton Place Strategies, Griffin was an aide to President George W. Bush, an adviser in the Treasury Department,

In an article, titled "Do The American People Have Freedom?," IVN contributor Michael Hoang introduced the notion that freedom is about belonging to a "mother nation" and being harmonious with the other members of a person's "national family." While the idea is not entirely unconventional, it is fundamentally incompatible with the Western liberal tradition and, specifically, the ideals of the American Revolution. Briefly, freedom is not earned, neither is it given nor received. Freedom is a sta

Third parties that have a national infrastructure such as the Green Party and Libertarian Party have waged legal battles from California to North Carolina to improve their ability to get on the ballot. In California, a more lax state regarding ballot access laws, Terry Baum went through several legal hurdles in her race against U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi as the Green Party candidate. The common method is to attain a certain percentage from the previous gubernatorial election for a third

It seems that in every cycle there is debate about which states should hold the first presidential primary elections. Some state always seems to try to jump ahead of Iowa and New Hampshire. Since 1972, the Iowa Caucuses have been first in the nation and New Hampshire has been the first "primary" since 1920. There, of course, have been states that have attempted to circumvent Iowa and New Hampshire, claiming that they don't truly represent America as they are small states with seemingly narrow

The late, great comedian George Carlin once said “if you vote, you have no right to complain .” There are two problems with that: voter disenfranchisement and ballot access for political parties. Nothing will change if not enough people vote, but if the options in the voting booths are also limited, the problem gets worse. Ballot access is complicated because it varies state-by-state, but the fact that people are complaining about their lack of ability to vote for the party of their choosing i