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Legislatures and redistricting commissions across the United States are in the process of drawing new maps for their legislative and congressional districts, and some states have already drawn new lines to give the party in power even more of an advantage while denying voters opportunities for meaningful representation. RepresentUs and the Princeton Gerrymandering Project have collaborated on a Redistricting Report Card so voters can get up-to-date information on new maps and what impact they w

SYNOPSIS: AMERICAN CONSPIRACY (Lido Press: 7/23/2021) Available on Amazon or other vendors on author’s website: www.mjpolelle.com The tumultuous presidential election of 2028 comes up snake eyes when according to the media, the Democratic candidate, Franklin Dexter Walker, becomes presumptive president-elect by one electoral vote over the Republican candidate and the candidate of a third party, the National Independent Party. A sniper assassinates Walker during an impromptu victory celebration

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

The Illinois Legislature didn’t waste any time ramming new state House and Senate maps through the legislative process Tuesday, despite criticism and pleas from community organizations for a more thorough and transparent process. State lawmakers revealed new maps Monday. However, it was determined that they violated the “one person, one vote” principle. Revised maps were offered the next day, and then approved hours later. Democratic leaders in the legislature argue that the maps accurately re

Want to better understand how gerrymandering works while also competing for prizes? There is a competition going on until June 15 that calls on the American public to put their mapmaking skills to the test. The Princeton Gerrymandering Project launched the Great American Map Off on May 15. The group challenges any member of the public to draw congressional districts for 7 crucial states -- Colorado, Florida, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and Wisconsin -- as the redistricting proces

What is the duopoly? On the surface this may seem like a common sense question: We have a political system dominated by two major parties. Hence, we have a duopoly. That simple, right?  Yet, the reasons we have a two-party duopoly in the US are far more nuanced. The Republican and Democratic Parties win nearly every partisan electoral contest in the US. But, this is not the reason for the duopoly, but a symptom of it, and unfortunately the damaging effects the duopoly has had on the political

While we can celebrate the election of the first Black, subcontinental Asian, female Vice President, our Nation still struggles with discrimination based on a variety of suspect categories.

Suja A. Thomas joins host T. J. O’Hara on Deconstructed to discuss employment discrimination law in the United States. She is a Professor of Law at the University of Illinois with a research focus on civil procedure, employment law, and the proper utilization of juries. Professor Thomas has published a plethora of scholarly articles and is co-author of “Unequal: How America’s Courts Undermine Discrimination Law” and the author of another book. While we can celebrate the election of the first Bl

Centrist solutions exist to many of California’s and our nation’s problems. Politics makes it easier to attack an opponent’s position than to advance one’s own, however.

Editor's Note: This piece originally published in Press-Enterprise out of Riverside, CA, and has been republished on IVN with permission from the author. ‍ Centrist solutions exist to many of California’s and our nation’s problems. Politics makes it easier to attack an opponent’s position than to advance one’s own, however. Nuance dies in the toxic environment of social media- based politics. If you’re explaining, you’re losing; and simply to rebut the demonized version of your own position qu