Received his Bachelor's degree in Political Science from San Diego State University. Keeping an eye on the role of money in politics. When #moneytalks you listen.
Campaigns
In what’s quickly becoming a crowded field for president in 2020, the partisan media has already begun to dismiss all but a few presidential hopefuls both explicitly and implicitly. Whether it’s by excluding their names from national polls, declaring the candidacy dead on arrival, or simply spreading misinformation,
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ANCHORAGE, ALASKA - Do you think there is too much foreign influence in government? Is more accountability needed? Well, Alaskan voters are doing something about it. The nonpartisan group, Alaskans for Integrity, is sponsoring an initiative for the 2018 ballot that would limit lawmakers' pay when they fail to
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Independent and minor party candidates in Montana were handed a bittersweet victory in their bids to replace former Congressman Ryan Zinke. On April 8, Federal Judge Brian Morris ruled against Montana Secretary of State Cory Stapleton, finding that the signature requirement placed on non-major party candidates "severely burdens the
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The special election process to replace Congressman Ryan Zinke as Montana’s sole representative in the U.S. House is being challenged in court. Three plaintiffs are suing Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton, challenging the Big Sky state’s onerous ballot access rules and questionable election schedule. Green Party
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Perhaps one of the most counterintuitive hallmarks in American politics is the inverse trend between growing public dissatisfaction with government and the high incumbent re-election rate. Over 97 percent of Congress was re-elected last year in spite of growing anti-incumbent sentiment. Incumbency has many perks. In many states, one such
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Two law students from the University of Kentucky have embarked on a grassroots campaign to bring direct democracy to the bluegrass state. Vince Taormina and Ryan Mosley are the co-founders of the Kentucky People’s Alliance - a fledgeling effort to amend the state’s constitution to allow for voter-backed
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This week's explosive release of information from WikiLeaks regarding the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) cavalier use of surveillance techniques are still being unraveled. The release, referred to as "Year Zero," has so far shown that the intelligence agency exploited vulnerabilities in consumer products without
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Third parties had their best showing in nearly two decades last November, but they still face major ballot access hurdles in future state elections across the country. Tennessee is a prime example. Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson ran as the Libertarian Party’s candidate for president and drew over
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Americans rely on the Internet now more than ever for news, information, and discussions about politics. According to Pew, nearly half of U.S adults between the ages of 18-49 rely primarily on the Internet and social media for their news, and 62 percent of all adults use a social
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The U.S. Supreme Court might be headed toward a major decision regarding partisan open primary elections. In two court cases, the Republican and Democratic parties, respectively, have challenged the constitutionality of partisan open primaries. The Republican case was brought in Montana, where the GOP controls the legislature. The Democratic
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Today, the Republican Party finds itself in a precarious position despite holding a majority in Congress and, ostensibly, the presidency. While President Trump did run with the Republican nomination, a closer look at his political origins suggests voters elected a third-party candidate instead. It is easily forgotten that President Donald
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#BoycottBudwiser. #DeleteUber. #BoycottNetflix. #BoycottStarbucks. #BOYCOTT. These are just a few of the latest hashtag campaigns aimed at boycotting businesses in retaliation for uncouth political entanglements. The Twitter protests, all of which have formed in the last few months, stem from social media circles on the political left and right. As