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On May 4, Scotland held its elections for local councils using a Multi-Winner Ranked Choice Voting System (RVC). Once again, Scottish election results have demonstrated how their system gives voters fair elections, greater choice, and a stronger voice. Local councils are the form of municipal government used in the region. The distribution of votes between parties was relatively even, with the three largest parties winning just 79% of council seats. The Scottish National Party remained the mos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ShxMHnQyn8 Salman, often referred to as ‘MBS’, has leapfrogged the king’s nephew Mohammed bin Nayef June 21, 2017 Conor Gaffey Posted with permission from Newsweek King Salman, the 81-year-old ruler of Saudi Arabia, elevated his son, Mohammed bin Salman, to the role of crown prince on Wednesday, meaning that the 31-year-old is now the next in line to the Saudi throne. Salman, often referred to by his initials ‘MBS’, has leapfrogged the king’s nephew Mohamme

More than $50 million was spent on Georgia's Sixth Congressional District special election. For Democrats, a win would have been a sign that the Trump resistance is translating into tangible electoral gains. For Republicans, it is a sign that despite the harsh media rhetoric towards the President and their party, they continue to win congressional seats. The timing of Karen Handel's win could also impact the national conversation over health care, as Senate Republicans are about to roll out t

It appears that the momentum toward non-affiliated voter registration in Oregon is not letting up. In fact, it appears to be accelerating. Latest statistics from the Oregon secretary of state’s office show nearly a 60% growth from December 2010 to May 2017. What’s interesting is the growth of independents from 2015 to 2017, from 527,302 to 739,405 (over 200,000 new registrations). These are amazing numbers and indicate that more and more people prefer true independence rather than giving their

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bqc1ekCwmXw Our democracy is fundamentally broken by a dangerous new era of fierce partisan divisions. Most voters are locked in congressional districts that are increasingly skewed toward one party. With no power to affect outcomes, too many votes simply do not matter. The problem goes beyond gerrymandering, redistricting, and money. The problem is districting itself. The zero-sum, winner-take-all system in which only one person is elected to represent each d

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0zo1vacLOc&t=12m25s Attorney General Jeff Sessions appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee Tuesday, fielding a litany of questions about Russia, former FBI director James Comey, and the 2016 election. In a sometimes tense, heated debate over the 2016 election, the committee’s vice chair, Sen. Mark Warner noted, “This is not about re-litigating 2016. This is about making sure Russia does not interfere with our elections going forward.” In his opening s

Life expectancies for Americans have increased significantly over the past hundred years. Today, Americans can expect to live an average of 25 years longer than in generations previous, living fulfilled lives well into their late 70s. Although the increased life expectancy is something to be celebrated, Americans still have some of the lowest life expectancies in the developed world. Additionally, this expanded life expectancy comes at quite a price, costing trillions of dollars each year on he

Student loan debt is always the same, whether you make the choice to attend online college or reside at an educational institution. The U.S. has created a new generation of people that have more student loan debt than at any other time in our history. According to the U.S. Federal Reserve, we are in a whopping $1.3 trillion debt from student loans. 1. Income vs. Debt Ratio In many countries such as Sweden, most students have an average college debt of $20,000. In Sweden specifically, 70% of c

Last month, the Brennan Center released a scathing report on gerrymandering in America. Using multiple metrics, they uncovered several damning findings: * A net structural advantage towards Republicans of 16 to 17 seats across states with six or more congressional representatives (85% of House seats). * Most of the bias against Democrats comes from seven large states with roughly even partisanship where Republicans had unified control during redistricting. * Some bias towards Democrats in De

https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/867078297057984512 In what many are hailing as a positive step toward helping American families balance their responsibilities of work and family, President Trump is proposing six weeks of paid time off to both mothers and fathers at the time of birth (or adoption) of a child. “For the first time ever, by any administration of any party, we are proposing a nationwide paid parental leave program,” budget director Mick Mulvaney told reporters this week. The leav