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Rarely is there an issue as contentious as taxation. Thick walls of partisan gridlock form around taxes like very few other issues. Reform is supposed to be a kind word and describe a way to make taxes simpler for people to understand, but the tax code actually sees changes on a regular annual basis or so. The problem is these changes haven't made things simpler for taxpayers. True reform -- like a comprehensive restructuring of the tax code from the bottom up -- is the ideal goal, but realisti

With the primaries either underway or rapidly approaching, we again find ourselves facing a crisis in democracy created by our elections process: the escalating power of partisanship from partisan primaries, determining for us who will be filling congressional seats in 2015. In record numbers, 42 percent of the electorate are disenfranchised by the two major political parties and results of this year’s primaries in most states may very well be determined by as little as 5 percent of the elector

There have been numerous articles alleging rampant welfare fraud. While most articles focus on blaming poor people who directly receive government benefits, there are no credible statistics demonstrating that the poor are responsible for the majority of the fraud. There exist anecdotal accounts of fraud that get lots of media attention, but those are exceptions, not the rule. Google defines anecdotal evidence as: 1. Information that is not based on facts or careful study. 2. Reports or observa

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

Democrats have to maintain yet another open seat in Congress after Iowa U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D), announced that he would not seek re-election in 2014. The move has brought a flurry of potential GOP nominees with the intention of taking the seat from the Democrats. Harkin announced his retirement in January 2013, claiming that his age, 81, was the main reason for his departure. A Democrat with a staunchly liberal voting record, Harkin has been in the Senate since 1985. His positive approval

Table of Contents State-by-state Information How Do Primaries Work? Partisan v. Nonpartisan Closed (Partisan) Semi-Closed (Partisan) Open (Partisan) Open (Nonpartisan) Variants of Traditional Election Systems Top-Two Nonpartisan Primaries Top-Four Primary Instant Runoff Voting Approval Voting Unified Primary Other Voter Resources Independent Movements in Your State GENERAL ELECTION DATE: November 4, 2014 How do I vote? The following voter guide is tailored to provide vital info

Senate Democrats made a controversial decision to alter the body's rules on a party-line vote Thursday morning. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called for a vote to pass new rules that would effectively prevent future Republican filibusters on presidential nominations. The rules passed, 51-48, with all Senate Republicans voting against them. The vote does not come without cause. There have been more filibusters in Congress between 2009 and 2010 than there were in the three decades following W

It is not uncommon to hear the words “entitled,” “selfish,” and “lazy” to describe Generation Y, or as they are colloquially known -- millennials. Is this a fair assumption to make or do previous generations have more in common with young adults than they think? According to Michigan State University, an examination of high school seniors in the United States from 1976-2006 reveals that when it comes to qualities like individualism and egoism, there hasn’t been much change at all. The stereoty

Last week, both Illinois and Hawaii passed same-sex marriage making them the 15th and 16th states to do so. Overall, 2013 has been quite a year for the LGBT community. These last two states just seem to put the icing on the proverbial cake. It all comes on the heals of the 2012 election where voters in three states (Maine, Maryland, and Washington) approved same-sex marriage and rejected a ban on it in the state of Minnesota. So, what has transpired during the year? Rhode Island, Delaware, Mi

Secession, a word common 150 years ago, is once again gaining steam in several states. In the quest for a government that is more representative of the people, groups of different ideologies want to break away from the majority. However, this separatist movement is unlike the days leading up to the Civil War; it is bloodless and involves regions of states separating from the state itself. Rural areas want to disconnect from urban areas; conservative groups want to break away from governments th