Politics

Federal legalization of marijuana wouldn’t lead to nationwide legality right away. But it has significant benefits. It will benefit research into the drug’s effects. It will also render impossible the use of federal marijuana laws to punish people and businesses. Introduction This past Wednesday, the 31st of March, may be the biggest day so far…

Every election cycle it seems like both major party candidates run on some promise of change. Yet that change is never realized. Any change is excruciatingly slow.  Progress is incremental and fought against by those who reflect our voice.  The reasons for this are numerous and complicated. The two-party system, money in politics, and voter…

Student loan debt imposes a massive burden on debtors. But the president likely can- and should- erase it via executive order. Introduction With Congress in deadlock, much of what the Democratic Party hopes to do must go through Congress. Currently, the Senate is evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, with Democrats in control with Kamala…

Democrats have launched a defense of voter rights in HR-1 and S-1 that will doubtlessly benefit them politically. That doesn’t mean the bill isn’t necessary. Introduction In the aftermath of the 2020 election, even as voter fraud allegations continue to carry zero objective legitimacy, the Republican assault on voter rights continues.  Not content with the…

Republicans in most states are pushing for bills to place undue restrictions on people’s access to the vote. Democrats must pass their proposed voting rights protections in Congress to ensure future elections are as fair as possible. Introduction Recently, I completed a series on the necessity of constitutional reform in order to ensure America has…

The federal judiciary, as it currently exists, is an anti-democratic force. America needs judicial reform, but there’s no consensus among academics on the best path forward. Introduction  Within a few days of the 2020 general election wrapping up, it became clear that Donald Trump had lost, and Joe Biden would become president. Yet, the Trump…

COVID imperialism, or the maintenance of exploitative and harmful practices even amidst the pandemic, is harming the developing world’s ability to recover. In this article, we examine a couple areas of this practice. Introduction For Americans, and other Western nations, the end of the coronavirus pandemic seems to be near, as vaccinations increase around the…

Right-wing media and politicians have spread a false narrative of Dr. Seuss’ “cancellation.” It serves as a useful myth for hiding Republicans’ ghoulish political agenda. Introduction If you’re like me, you’ve probably seen your Facebook timeline flooded with memes (largely from more conservative family and acquaintances) about Dr. Seuss’ “cancellation”. These posts assert that Dr….

Snopes’ fact-checking is usually reliable, but it is not infallible. On occasion, particularly when reviewing criticism of Democratic politicians, it falls short. Introduction Fact-checking organizations, at least the impartial ones, receive adulation and respect for their ability to establish the truth of claims made by political actors. But even those viewed as impartial may have…

Republicans and Democrats have always been at odds, but right now the usual bipartisanship may be farther apart than ever before. You can notice this divide just by listening to the talking points of both sides. It doesn’t seem like they are arguing in the same reality. Why is this? I hate to put all…

The third stimulus should have led to a strong aid package that would boost the Democratic Party’s chances in the future. Instead, unforced errors have stripped down the package, and in doing so, opened the door for a red wave in 2022 and 2024. Introduction In taking the reins from the Trump administration, the Democratic…

The Senate’s equal distribution of seats to wildly unequally-populated states ensures that Congress is not representative of how Americans vote. For America’s legislature to better represent its people, we must go through with Senate reform or abolition. Introduction Within a few days of the 2020 general election wrapping up, it became clear that Donald Trump…

Unions are an essential part of worker’s rights. They have helped advance worker’s rights in America since 1794 with the establishment of the first trade union. Unions are responsible for bringing about a five-day work week, 40-hour work week, paid holidays, sick days, vacation days, regulated overtime, family and medical leave, and even safety standards….

The Senate parliamentarian cannot issue a binding ruling, and the Democratic Senate can also abolish the filibuster. Either way, the ruling should not be an excuse for not enacting a much-needed minimum wage increase. On Thursday, the Senate parliamentarian ruled that including a minimum wage increase in the currently-proposed stimulus package would violate Senate rules….

The Electoral College’s founding was based on predictions for future American elections that proved inaccurate. It is no longer necessary and provides far more harm than good. America must replace it with a national popular vote. Earlier this week, I wrote about the pitfalls of the Electoral College and why we need constitutional reform to…

In 2020 close to 160 million Americans voted, which is by far the most in history.  This shattered the previous record of 2016 by more than 20 million votes. In the 2020 Presidential election 66.7 percent of all eligible voters cast their ballot.  This is the highest percentage of voter participation since 1900 where 73.7…

The Electoral College is fundamentally anti-democratic, and could be used for even more nefarious purposes in the future. Electoral College abolition is a moral necessity to ensure America can finally have an actual democracy. Introduction Within a few days of the 2020 general election wrapping up, it became clear that Donald Trump had lost.Yet, the…

Former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial for his role in inciting the violent storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6 ended on Saturday. As widely expected, Trump was acquitted by the U.S. Senate on a final vote of 57-43, ten votes shy of the necessary threshold for a conviction.   The 7 Republican Senators who…

While the vaccine is harmless, disinformation is deadlier than covid-19. The spread of Covid-19 is often thought of as ‘manmade’ due to the lack of seriousness by the human populous concerning the pandemic. While relief is being rolled out to help out economically (although there is some controversy), the vaccine has come to stop the…

Regardless of how Congress sets the limits, using potentially outdated data risks COVID relief checks missing the people who need it most. Currently, Congress is finalizing a COVID relief package, the third of the pandemic and the first under the Biden administration. The major debate, currently, is between keeping the checks for everyone making $75,000…