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It doesn’t seem like there is much these days that can unite Republicans and Democrats. However, one thing both parties have consistently agreed on is that nothing should threaten their grip on power. The current electoral process is designed to serve the interests of the dominant two parties and their members. If there is a reform that threatens to upset the apple cart, it will encounter resistance from those who have the most to lose from a fairer, more equitable process. This will include l

In an email sent to supporters, former President Donald Trump issued a statement in support of proposed legislation in Wyoming, SF0097, which would shut voters not affiliated with the two major parties out of taxpayer-funded primary elections. It’s a position that runs in stark contrast to the populist approach he ran on in 2016 and 2020. “This critically important bill ensures that the voters in each party will separately choose their nominees for the general election, which is how it should b

The idea of a “deep state” in American government has become a hot topic in recent years, but does it actually exist? And is it good, or bad? This episode's expert guest, Prof. Michael J Glennon, is possibly the best person on the planet to help us figure out the truth. In this interview, Prof. Glennon explains his book, "National Security and Double Government." Amongst other topics, he discusses how the reality of a "double government" of the national security complex intersects with the mo

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared on The Fulcrum and has been republished with permission from the publisher. ‍ For those seeking better elections and a more representative government in the United States, the coming year is a time of great promise and peril. We have a historic opportunity to advance comprehensive electoral reform, yet have much to lose if we fall short. I’ve led FairVote since it launched in 1992, grounded in a vision of lifting up structural reform nationally

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared on The Fulcrum and has been republished on IVN with permission from the publisher. ‍ Voters in Clark County, Wash., will get the opportunity in 2022 to decide whether to move to ranked-choice voting for future elections. The county’s Charter Review Commission, which is empowered to put initiatives on the ballot, voted Tuesday to move forward with an RCV proposal after surveying residents. Clark, the fourth largest county in Washington, is the s

A majority of young people look at the US political system and they do not see a true democratic process. A new Harvard Youth Poll found that many Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 believe the system is “in trouble” or has failed entirely. The poll, from the Harvard University Kennedy School's Institute of Politics (IOP), found that only 7% of young adults believe the US has a “healthy democracy,” including 5% of independent and unaffiliated voters in this age group. Further, young peo

John Daniel Hull, IV, founder and partner of the D.C. law firm of Hull McQuire PC, joins T.J. O’Hara, host of Deconstructed, to share his political experiences and observations from inside the Beltway. Mr. Hull is a distinguished attorney who, as a Democrat, served as a Legislative Assistant to a congressional Republican before beginning his career as a litigating attorney. In recent years, his political affiliation has shifted to a more conservative point of view, and he explains what drove hi

Jeanne Sheehan Zaino, Ph.D., joins T.J. O’Hara, host of Deconstructed, to discuss the structural challenges of the Constitution that have contributed to the growing political stalemate in our Nation’s capital. Dr. Sheehan Zaino is a Professor of Political Science and International Studies at Iona College and a regular contributor to Bloomberg Television and Radio. She is also the author of several books, including her latest, American Democracy in Crisis: The Case for Rethinking Madisonian Gover

California is now the largest state to permanently adopt universal mail-in ballot distribution. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the measure into law Monday. While it goes a long way to increase voter participation in the Golden State, public officials are still not doing everything they can to give all voters a level playing field in elections. California, like many of the other states that expanded access to mail-in ballots as an emergency change in 2020, saw record turnout in November. The state

On September 6, 2021, Alan Braid, a seventy-six-year-old OBGYN in San Antonio, Texas, performed an abortion on a woman in her first trimester. A few years ago, this procedure would have attracted little attention. This time, however, Dr. Braid became a national headline. In an op-ed for the Washington Post, he wrote, “I acted because I had a duty of care to this patient, as I do for all patients, and because she has a fundamental right to receive this care.” What made Dr. Braid’s decision notew