Compulsory Voting in the United States?
In the 2012 presidential election, only 56.8% of the eligible voting population chose to cast a ballot. Despite an eight million eligible population increase, five millions less ballots were cast than four years ago. The numbers for non-presidential election years are even lower, with only 37.8% of the eligible population having participated in the 2010 […]
Unelect the Electoral College
The Electoral College is the entity that, despite ongoing popular opposition, continues to choose the leader of the free world. In the College, there are 538 total electoral votes, and the number of electoral votes each state receives is equal to the number of Senators plus the number of House Representatives, ensuring a minimum of […]
Freedom of Speech and its Limitations: How one Soldier’s Civil Right is not his Military Right
The drama of the Iowa Caucus kept me up until two a.m. I watched as the narrow race between Romney and Santorum was ultimately decided by only eight votes (every vote really does count!). The other big winner of the evening, besides the incredible surge for Rick Santorum, was that of Ron Paul. Even though […]
A Passing Opportunity for Moral High Ground
October 26, 2010 marked the ten-year anniversary of the passing of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (UN SCR1325) yet the United States had not taken any substantial action to promote the text domestically or internationally. The resolution encompasses several massive issues concerning women in the peacemaking process in a brief, three-page document. It states […]
The Next Great American Social Movement
Barely one month after a few protesters began camping out on Wall Street, the Occupy movement has grown into a worldwide phenomenon. It is undeniable that the sentiments of the movement have struck a deep chord within this country, which is now experiencing one of the largest and most widespread mobilizations of social and political […]
Challenge Yourself, Not the Public’s Patience
Andrew is the External VP of the NU College Republicans. Is there any parallel between the Occupy movement and the Tea Party? Is it a drum circle of students who should be doing something more productive with their time? Both are relevant questions to ask when attempting to make any sense at all of the […]
Occupy Boston: Is This What Democracy Looks Like?
“We are the 99%. And so are you!” “Show me what democracy looks like. This is what democracy looks like!” Across the street from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, protesters hold signs and recite chants denouncing Wall Street tycoons and the American political ruling class. Many call for an end to the war in […]
Death Row: Trusting a Broken System
On March 9, 2011, Governor Pat Quinn signed legislation effectively abolishing the death penalty in the state of Illinois, making it the 16th state without the death penalty.[i] The next day, on March 10, 2011, Johnnie Ray Baston was executed in Ohio for aggravated murder. He is the 9th person to be put to death […]
The Price of Being Gay: The Constitutionality of DOMA
In a letter to the Speaker of the House, President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder signaled that the White House would no longer defend the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act. In doing so the president took a proactive step for the equal rights of gay men and women across this country. This […]
The Right to Connect: Universal Internet Access
In the United States, one often sends so many text messages, accepts (or rejects) so many Facebook “friend requests,” and reads so many tweets that social media can feel banal. Whether at home, in class, at work, or in transit, North Americans are constantly connected. However, the boundaries of the Internet and communication are no […]