4 Years of Citizens United: The Damage and Its Solution
January 2014 marked the 4th anniversary of the highly controversial Citizens United v. Federal Electoral Committee verdict, in which the Supreme Court granted corporations and unions complete first amendment rights. The Court ruled that these entities are allowed to spend unlimited amounts of money on political advocacy as long as that money is not given […]
The Democrats’ DIY Government
Two weeks after his 2014 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama sat down and signed an executive order raising the minimum wage for federal contractors to $10.10 from $7.25. A month later he signed another executive order expanding overtime pay. The orders were small steps, but they back up the underlying message […]
Getting Off the Fence: Why Immigration Reform Can’t Wait
During President Obama’s first presidential campaign in 2008, he advocated for immigration reform on pivotal issues such as tightening borders, cracking down on employers of illegal immigrants, and establishing an “effective way to recognize and legalize undocumented workers who are here.”[1]The 2008 Democratic platform on immigration included plans for allowing illegals to “get right with […]
Towards Mindful Growth and Genuine Measurement
In 1968, Robert Kennedy made history with the bold statement that: “[the Gross Domestic Product] measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile. And it can tell us everything about America except why we are proud that we are Americans.” Over 40 years later, Kennedy’s words fall on still-deaf ears, as the GDP […]
Commercializing Vice: Marijuana, Tobacco and Alcohol Policy in the US
“Please drink responsibly.” These words are etched into every bottle of booze and embedded into the fine print of television advertisements, reminding consumers that the producers and distributors of beer, wine, and spirits have the public’s best interests in mind. However, as public policy expert Mark Kleiman notes: “responsible drinkers don’t build breweries.”[1] The […]
Not Up To Code: Reprogramming America’s Changing Workforce
Young companies in this decade are built by people who fall into one of two categories: developers, and “support beams” — people who have shallow skills sets across a wide spectrum as opposed to specific expertise. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), jobs created by establishments less than one year old […]
Party Perspectives: Immigration Reform
Immigration reform has been an important agenda item both for lawmakers and for the President. Despite bipartisan support for the issue, and recent cooperation on the Omnibus and Farm bills, immigration appears to be stalled. Consider the following questions in your reflection: – Is comprehensive immigration reform, and other kinds of comprehensive reform, […]
From the Printing Press to Printing Firearms: The effect of 3D printed guns on US federal legislation
“Reservations about rapid technological change are widely shared regardless of political party or philosophy. In America, the tensions between approval of science and worry about the rapid changes it can bring bubbles up in special ways when moral or cultural choices seem to be involved.” This quote by author Jonathan D. Moreno from his book […]
Domestic Threat: How the US Military Continues to Fail on Issues of Sexual Abuse
A great documentary sheds light on an underrepresented niche of human life and exposes us to issues we never before considered. Documentaries should be creative and enlightening, but when it comes to being hard-hitting, some hit harder than others. Rather than examining sushi chefs, babies, or folk singers, the Academy Award-nominated “The Invisible War” documents […]
Left-by-South-West: The Return of Democrat Politics in Texas
This summer, Texas legislator Wendy Davis, clad in pink sneakers, staged an 11-hour filibuster that successfully blocked Republican efforts to greatly restrict abortion policy.[1] The filibuster delayed the passing of House Bill 2, and successfully launched Davis to political fame, both within the state and across the country. Incumbent Rick Perry will not seek re-election […]