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Primaries first began in the early twentieth century as a response to increasingly strong party control over elections. At the time, voters wanted a larger say in who would be chosen as their candidate, instead of the long-standing tradition of party bosses choosing who would run for office. Progressive reformers viewed direct primaries as a way for constituencies to increase transparency and allow for citizens to participate in the electoral process. As primaries became a feature of local, stat

Put the state of Colorado into a news search engine right now and you’ll get one big result: Yes, you can now legally buy marijuana for personal use in the state. However, there’s something more important going on than the ability of Coloradans to get legally high. Colorado was one of three states to see an increase of more than 30 percent in the number of registered independent voters, according to new research. While Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico saw the biggest increases, the number of

Update: A previous version of the article stated that Coffman won the 2012 election by a margin of 6,000 votes. He in fact won it by 7,001 votes. Colorado’s Sixth Congressional District is considered one of the most competitive districts in the United States, but that has not usually been the case. Republicans have controlled the district since it was created in 1983. Congressman Mike Coffman, a Republican, has held the seat since 2009. However, The political demographics have shifted in the di

Massachusetts passed the first wage law in 1912, followed soon after by thirteen more states and the District of Columbia. However, the Supreme Court ruling in Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States (1935) resulted in the defeat of a major provision of President Roosevelt’s “New Deal” and further efforts would not succeed until Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in 1938. A national minimum wage was established at $0.25 per hour.A few very sobering facts: , a startling perspec

Most of the country ‘s political scene is looking toward the new year and the upcoming midterm elections in November wondering how a new congressional makeup might change the current political deadlock or reinvigorate the last two years of President Obama’s term in office. Some Coloradans, however, have a different focus in 2014. In the Centennial State, there is a movement underway to put a new initiative on the 2014 ballot aimed at fundamentally changing the state's electoral system. Curre

Colorado is just one of a number of states now considering proposals to move to a nonpartisan primary system similar to California and Washington state. Two people in particular are leading efforts to change the state's electoral system: Kent Thiry, chief executive of kidney dialysis company DaVita, and Ryan Ross, director of the Coalition for a New Colorado Election System. Thiry was a major player in getting independent redistricting passed in California in 2008. According to the Denver Post,

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

Independent voters like to do their thinking outside the narrow confines of false dichotomies and established paradigms. They don’t like their choices made for them, they’re weary of a debate that never seems to go anywhere, and they’re bored of the made-for-television drama that partisan politics has become. But if you’re an Independent voter, you can declare your independence in other areas too. Independent voters can also be: Independent Savers Independent voters don’t have to save for t

Marijuana legalization activists gained considerable momentum this week. On Tuesday, the city of Portland, Maine, passed Question 1: 67 percent to 33 percent. The measure legalized possession of up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana by adults over 21 years of age. Likewise, Colorado passed Proposition AA Tuesday, which added a 15 percent wholesale tax and 10 percent sales tax on marijuana transactions. These two ballot measures follow a national poll by Gallup that found support for outright legalizat

With 62 percent of counties reporting, Colorado passed Proposition AA Tuesday: 65 percent to 35 percent. The proposition, which was brought forth by the Committee for Responsible Regulation, would tax the sale of recreational marijuana in the state. Colorado became one of the first states to legalize the substance outright in 2012 through Amendment 64. Yet, marijuana continues to be recognized federally as a Schedule I drug. In a release Mason Tvert, director of communications for the Marijua