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The American electoral system is highly dysfunctional. One of its most basic problems is that districts and states often have lopsided partisan preferences, meaning that general elections between the nominees of the two major parties are overwhelmingly formalities. Consequently, representatives may be effectively chosen in low-turnout partisan primaries that are paid for by all taxpayers, but are often limited to only a portion of the electorate. A number of reforms have been proposed to address

Jeff Mapes of OregonLive.com covered the story of Mark Frohnmayer -- son of David Frohnmayer, an established member of Oregon politics, law, and academia -- pushing for a version of the nonpartisan top-two primary system. It is identical to California and Washington systems, but with a twist; approval voting. The Oregon initiative would complete the nonpartisan primary's trek along the West coast. It will need 87,416 signatures from registered voters to qualify for the November 2014 ballot."" -

A balance usually means that both sides have equal weight or standing. It could mean anything as mundane as putting the right amount of oregano and garlic on a slice of pizza. In a legal sense, there is a balance where the punishment should meet the crime. In politics there are checks and balances to ensure no one branch of government or political party receives too much power. These are relatively easy ideas to learn starting in a high school class on civics and government or by trial and error

Can legislation on technology ever reflect the fast-paced nature of the digital frontier? Credit: readwrite.com In a push toward increased privacy in the social media realm, Washington became the most recent state to enact a law banning employers from asking for the website or password of an employee's personal social media profile. "We're trying to assure people's privacy in this space, that we (have) vigilance and the ability to move on a moment's notice when people's privacy has been violat

Dear IVN Readers, While other outlets recycle the same old stories, IVN is proud to bring you important stories that aren’t covered anywhere else: like voter suppression in New Jersey, a revolutionary new privacy initiative introduced in California, or a Trans-Pacific Partnership that could change the way the world conducts trades. Check in this week as we bring you more original news by a growing network of independent-minded journalists and readers. - Shawn and the rest of the IVN Team Wh

(Credit: Gage Skidmore) On Monday, Kentucky's Rand Paul became the first US Senator to vote against an FBI director's nomination since the death of J. Edgar Hoover in 1972. Lifting the hold Rand Paul had placed on nominee James Comey's confirmation over the legal justifications used for domestic use of drones -- otherwise known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles -- for surveillance, a vote was held. The nominee was eventually confirmed 93-1. Paul voted against him and Oregon's Democratic U.S. Senator

UCLA polling station // Credit: Fiona Kirby / Daily Bruin A plurality of registered voters in the US have chosen not to identify with a political party, one sign that the influence of the two major parties is receding. The west coast — Oregon, Washington, and California — a region that has traditionally been thoroughly Democratic, is beginning to see a party identification shift. According to a poll conducted by Pew Research, 37 percent of US voters chose the 'Independent' label over 32 percen

Justin Amash One of the youngest U.S. Representatives and Chairman of the House Liberty Caucus, Justin Amash is among the most independent members of the House GOP and strives to distance himself from party groupthink. The New York Times noted in 2011 that Amash, “has not voted with the majority 25 percent of the time, the most of any House Republican.” He was recently criticized by GOP strategist Karl Rove, asserting Amash's “staunch libertarian stances on legislation as antithetical to tackl

Credit: rawstory.com According to research done by StateIntegrity.org, states with unregulated campaign contributions have a higher risk of corruption in political financing. A state's overall risk is based on laws in place and the potential for corruption. Four states (Missouri, Oregon, Utah, and Virginia) do not have laws limiting campaign contributions, and consequently registered poor scores on the study's scale for potential corruption. Because actualized corruption is not possible to ac

On the surface, it is easy to look at the real estate foreclosure crisis and blame everything on the banks. While there is no denying that these financial institutions have been a large part of the problem, there are other sides of the story. For example, those who have foreclosed on their property have to take some responsibility. Maybe these people shouldn’t have been granted a mortgage for their home, however, it doesn’t give them the right to “take the easy way out.” While the real estate