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On Tuesday, November 4, registered Oregon voters who participated in the midterm elections were able to weigh in on 7 ballot measures, one of which, Measure 90, would reform the current primary system in the state from a closed partisan primary to a nonpartisan, top-two open primary. The measure failed in a vote that was not even close, 68.3 percent voting “No” and 31.7 percent voting “Yes.” In the last 4 years, 3 top-two ballot measures have appeared on statewide ballots in 3 different states

For many advocates of marijuana legalization, 2014 was a banner year. With initiatives passing in Oregon, Alaska, and in Washington D.C., it seems that the United States may be just a few short years away from complete federal legalization. Now that advocates can point to the relative successes of marijuana legalization in Washington and Colorado, the nation could see an increase in ballot measures in 2016. Here are the 5 states most likely to explore full legalization next: 1. California Th

Although the midterm election fever has largely subsided, the courts are heating up over the issue of redistricting and gerrymandering lawsuits. For the 2014 term, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear three cases on redistricting commissions, and the Florida Supreme Court has also heard its own case over redistricting. Elections are contentious contests and at the heart of these arguments is who has the power to draw district lines that influence the outcomes on Election Day. All of these case

Redistricting is a process that occurs once every ten years, where census data is utilized to redraw the boundaries of each congressional district, so as to keep the representational power of each district relatively even. The underlying rationale for redistricting is to ensure that the "one man, one vote" ethos stays meaningful. Yet a political party can redraw districts in a way that favors itself at the expense of the others. By packing voters from other parties in a small number of district

Debate over states' rights and the rights of the people goes as far back as the 18th century. Today, that political discussion is alive and well in the form of a struggle over gerrymandering. This term, the Supreme Court will hear Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, an appeal brought to the court by the Arizona State Legislature to challenge their loss of redistricting power to an independent redistricting commission (IRC). When Alexander Hamilton wrote Fe

Each year as we approach the end (or beginning) of Daylight Saving Time (DST -- Daylight Saving in the United States is the correct term, not Daylight Savings as it is usually mistakenly called), there seems to be a political debate as to the usefulness of such a scheme. Some encourage year-round DST, while others advocate totally departing from the system. Looking to the wisdom and humor of Benjamin Franklin gives us a unique insight to his thoughts on saving daylight. Paris, 1784 Franklin'

As we wrap up Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month, and as the VA health care problems linger on, it has become tragically apparent that more and more veterans are feeling like they have nowhere to go and can't get the help they need. So, they choose to end their lives. In some cases, those suicides can be attributed to veterans being ignored by the VA. There have been many accounts of veterans committing suicide outside of VA clinics, not only to end the pain and suffering that seemed endles

Never let it be said that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz) doesn’t know how to make an entrance — or exit. The onetime Republican presidential candidate arrived late to a homeland security committee hearing on cybersecurity threats in the Dirksen Senate office building slated to begin 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The Arizona senior senator slipped in from behind the dais as senior intelligence officials read their testimony to lawmakers and took his seat near Chairman Sen. Thomas Carper (D-Del.) What McCa

Meanwhile, here in Kansas. . . . Just a week ago, it was a forgone conclusion that incumbent Senator Pat Roberts would win an easy plurality in a three-person race with Democrat Chad Taylor and well-funded Independent Greg Orman. Roberts, who recently fought off a strong primary challenge, is unpopular in Kansas, but being the only Republican on the ballot here is usually enough to win.But last week Taylor announced his withdrawal from the race, leaving the unpopular Roberts in a two-person ra

George Washington cheerfully using a waterboard to "baptize the terrorists." It almost seems ludicrous invoking such imagery, but there seems to be a real psychological need to tie all of our current events and practices back to the Founding Fathers.Whether or not United States personnel should use torture against foreign terrorists and insurgents is a question that has sharply divided American opinion -- with a makeup that is not exactly following the predictable, traditional party lines. Even