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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

As we move into the ninth month of this campaign, there is an increasing amount of news about the large and growing numbers of independent voters. It should come as no surprise, given that the headlines have been dominated by the ongoing partisan battles in Washington, D.C. There are independents running in the many 2014 elections, but are the latest partisan failures enough to turn these races in favor of independents? Put differently, is voter dissatisfaction enough to make people change the

There is one group in Washington that believes it is in the best position to bridge the partisan divide hampering many of the decisions in Congress. No Labels is composed of lawmakers and policy leaders of both major political parties. “A majority of Americans are so upset with all the gridlock that has stopped every sort of action that moves the country forward,” said Nancy Jacobson, a co-founder of No Labels. The organization was created after the Affordable Care Act passed without any Repub

New VPC study reveals that unmarried women, people of color and young voters delivered victories in 2012, but more than 21 million might stay home in 2014 Candidates that can energize this bloc of voters can upend conventional wisdom during the midterms Washington, D.C. – A new analysis of likely voters shows that the Rising American Electorate (RAE) holds the key to electoral success in 2014, according to the Voter Participation Center and pollster Celinda Lake. Mid-term elections frequently

The problem of pervasive surveillance technologies drums up passionate defenses of individual freedom and civil liberties, but what about collective rights?Organizers on the frontlines of social justice battles–from immigrant rights to criminal justice, from economic justice to communication rights–met on September 27, 2013, at the New America Foundation (NAF) in Washington, DC, to dig into this question during a private roundtable gathering cohosted by NAF’s Open Technology Institute and the Ce

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGmiw_rrNxkWednesday, a coalition of hundreds of organizations, whistle blowers, and civil rights leaders unveiled a video (above) opposing "suspicionless surveillance of American citizens." The 'Stop Watching Us' campaign features many notable privacy proponents including Daniel Ellsberg, best known for the 'Pentagon Papers,' and Glen Greenwald, the Guardian reporter who 'leaked' information on the NSA's PRISM surveillance program from Edward Snowden.A rally is p

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin joined U.S. Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) for a little bit of face time in front of the World War II Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. The three popular figures in the tea party made it clear that the Obama administration is using veterans as pawns in a larger political game. "Our veterans should be above politics," Cruz said. "It is shameful that the administration is barricading and trying to shutdown the memorials." He added: "Weeks ago,

The "Independent Truckers of America" have shut down many highways in Washington DC in what has been billed a "Ride For The Constitution." Part of their message is to tear down the barricades on the veterans memorial. From their website: Let’s show these bastards who runs this place — they will NEVER be able to control a nationwide protest.  We are demanding that Congress follow the US Constitution immediately; comply with our lawful demands, or their refusal will cause  a shutdown.  They eith

As states continue searching for ways to defy excesses of power from Washington DC, one state has joined a few others in objecting to one of the more controversial prerogatives emanating from the national capital. Last week, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law an act that states that the Golden State will not comply with the federal government's enforcement of indefinite detention of "enemy combatants." Passed in the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the defense spendi

Unemployment While unemployment is slowly decreasing, hitting a slight decline for the first time in the last 4 years, many American citizens are still concerned about whether or not they’ll be able to run to work on Monday morning. Over 29 percent of employed Americans are slightly concerned about whether or not they will house the same job for the next few years, or if they’ll get laid off due to company downsizings. Yes, it is true that more jobs have crept up, but these jobs are not full-ti