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On Thursday, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will officially announce his presidential candidacy, becoming the first candidate to challenge Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Party’s nomination. Cognizant of the dissatisfaction Americans feel toward both major political parties, and aware of many progressives’ disillusionment with the Democratic Party, Sanders has long been reluctant to formally un-declare his political independence. Yet before a crowd in Iowa in October 2014, he admitted

The phrase "democratic deficit" is somewhat of a wonky term usually only used in the world of political science nerds. But its basic meaning is simple: it is the situation that comes about when a government does not have much input from its citizens. Obviously, no level of government in the United States can be labelled "undemocratic," but in the context of the expectations that Americans have for their representative governments, the situation in Virginia is somewhat concerning. On April 15,

Tax reform is, on the surface, an area where virtually every presidential candidate (and lawmaker, for that matter) can agree: it is too complex, too riddled with loopholes, and desperately needs reform. Slightly more specifically, they still agree it needs to be simpler, and fairer. Beyond that, however, the tricks and techniques they all suggest using to do right by America’s taxpayers vary widely — and not exclusively along party lines. In theory, then, it should be a very telling way to dis

Our American election system is broken in no small part thanks to the primary election system. The Republican and Democratic parties have worked hand-in-hand for over a century to make ‘their’ party primaries the centerpiece of the entire electoral process. In an age where 43 percent of Americans consider themselves politically independent of the two major parties, the twisted state-sanctioned closed primary election process prevalent in the majority of U.S. elections frequently leads to elect

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Audit the Fed, a cause championed by former U.S. Representative Ron Paul (R-Texas), was picked up by Paul's son, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.), early on in his political career. For some voters, including more libertarian-minded voters, auditing the central bank is as important of an issue as raising the minimum wage is for progressives. Now that Sen. Paul has entered the 2016 presidential election, the issue may get a little more attention. The goal behind auditing the Fe

On Wednesday, April 8, the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling in the case, Balsam v. Guadagno (Secretary of the State of New Jersey). The court affirmed a lower district court’s decision to dismiss a constitutional challenge to New Jersey’s closed partisan primary, holding that New Jersey may limit those who have a fundamental right to cast a vote in the primary election to party members. Appellants argued that New Jersey’s closed primary elections, in a state where 48 percent

U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) are the first two candidates to officially announce their candidacy in the 2016 presidential election. They are two of the most interesting, dynamic, and polarizing figures in American politics today. Both men have striking similarities in their approach to politics and governing, as well as the voters they appeal to. However, there are also several key differences between the two that will distinguish and define their presidential campaign

It’s hard to look at the doctrine of the Constitution Party without seeing references to overt religious fundamentals -- namely, Christian fundamentals. The preamble to its platform begins: "The Constitution Party gratefully acknowledges the blessing of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as Creator, Preserver and Ruler of the Universe and of these United States. We hereby appeal to Him for mercy, aid, comfort, guidance and the protection of His Providence as we work to restore and preserve these

On Tuesday, April 7, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) officially announced his intentions to run in the 2016 presidential election. Prior to his announcement, Paul released a prequel political ad announcing his imminent announcement to run for president. But the great thing about this political ad is that it leaves no doubts as to where Paul stands on many key issues in this election. Ringing true to the voters is going to be a hard enough battle with an election map that already seems to give

Rand Paul is expected to announce the launch of his 2016 presidential campaign on Tuesday. In anticipation of the announcement, people have wondered if his father, former U.S. Representative Ron Paul (R-Texas), will be involved in the campaign at all. The New York Times reported Monday that Ron Paul will likely take a minimal role at most. The Times reported that Ron Paul has been mostly quiet over the last couple of weeks, refusing all interview requests. However, according to Bloomberg, he is