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Margaret Thatcher once said that “politics at its purest is philosophy in action." As someone who gave her name to a political age that represented a very clear break from what came before and fundamentally changed a nation – according to both her admirers and her critics - she may have earned the right to be taken seriously. As a self-identified member of the loosely defined liberty movement and someone professionally concerned with political psychology and persuasion, I often find myself spec

I have a confession: I was born an independent, and I'm pretty sure the majority of Americans were too. Whether it is here in the United States or over in Germany and Britain, there have always been and always will be partisans. But based on voter registrations and the general frustration toward Washington and our state houses, more and more voters are beginning to understand what being an "independent" is all about. There was a time when I was a member of a party. When I first registered to v

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8uf7O5SbM8 Video Source: CBS News The congressional budget has been received with mixed responses, and one of the most controversial changes has been a failure to renew funding for CHIP. CHIP, the Children's Health Insurance Program, provides low-cost health coverage for lower income families whose incomes are just high enough to disqualify them from being eligible for Medicaid. Historically, the program has had strong bipartisan support. So why is Congress f

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daA8hptxSoI Source: TYT Politics News broke over the weekend that the DNC Unity Reform Commission (URC) -- a way for the Democratic Party to essentially police itself -- announced a number of non-binding resolutions to show how the party should change its presidential nomination process. Among other things, the URC proposed significant cuts to superdelegates, passing a resolution that calls for the elimination of about 400 superdelegates. Further, many of the r

On Friday, December 1, 2017, the Senate garnered sufficient votes to pass their version of tax reform legislation. Previously, the House had already passed their plan for tax reform. At this point, the two plans will need to be reconciled before a final bill goes to President Trump for approval. Critics of the legislation claim that it has been rushed already without consideration for the long-term consequences the bills could bring. Regardless of what happens during the reconciliation process

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5watZ8UMqU US Rep. John Conyers announced Tuesday that he is "retiring today" amidst a sexual harassment scandal and growing calls for him to step down. The announcement comes the same day NBC News published new allegations against the congressman by a former staffer who says Conyers "inappropriately touched" her. Attorney Lisa Bloom posted a sworn affidavit on Twitter Monday on behalf of her client, Elisa Grubbs. Grubbs worked for Conyers from 2001 to 2013. Bl

Racism is a term used more and more frequently in recent American public discourse. After a rise of concern following the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s, usage and understanding of the term has never fully gone away. With large-scale street protests provoked by the Black Lives Matter movement, the term has captured more of the public discourse than ever before. Along with the rise of concerns about general racism, there is greater discussion around the ideas of systemic racism an

Supporters of a 2018 ballot initiative to legalize psychedelic mushrooms in California were given the green light by the state attorney general's office earlier this month to circulate petitions and gather signatures. They now have until April 30 to gather and submit 365,880 valid signatures from registered voters in the first state to ever legalize medical marijuana under Proposition 215 in 1996. That ballot proposition, as well as Prop. 64 -- the 2016 voter initiative titled "The Adult Use o

Rod Blum is a rarity in Congress – a member who actually wants a competitive district and a real challenge every Election Day. Blum, a Republican, believes this makes him a better congressman. He says that it requires him to listen to – and represent – the feelings of Democrats and independents as well as his fellow Republicans. In an op-ed in The Hill this fall, Blum wrote that he is “honored to represent a competitive district drawn by a nonpartisan redistricting commission.” That requires h

I remember the exact date I fell in love with Bernie Sanders. It was December 10, 2010. That’s when I happened to tune into a 69-year-old white-haired senator from Vermont in the eighth hour of his famous filibuster against extension of the Bush-era tax cuts. Fast forward to 2015: Bernie Sanders announced his bid for president. Elated, I volunteered with the San Diego for Bernie Sanders group, holding signs on interstate overpasses, making calls to voters, standing on street corners registerin