Independent authors cover the political spectrum and perspectives. Authors share their opinion on a wide range of topics on local, state, and national issues. Articles in this category express the opinions of our contributors, not IVN as a whole.
Opinion
Editor's Note: The following is a speech given by Steve Peace in 1998 along with additional supporting documents from research and extracted passages from earlier drafts of the speech. He believes what he said then. And, he believes it today. This speech is even more relevant today than
Opinion
In the midst of a pandemic with social and political unrest, a violent effort to intimidate Congress and threats of violence at state capitals, I keep thinking about new beginnings.
Opinion
In the midst of a pandemic with social and political unrest, a violent effort to intimidate Congress and threats of violence at state capitals, I keep thinking about new beginnings. New beginnings often require a death to occur first. It may be the death of an idea from which a
Opinion
Election integrity became a hot button issue during and in the wake of the 2020 presidential election. It is a phrase voters have heard a lot since November 3, as Donald Trump and many of his supporters claim widespread fraud took place that denied him re-election. Lawmakers and advocates who
Opinion
Centrist solutions exist to many of California’s and our nation’s problems. Politics makes it easier to attack an opponent’s position than to advance one’s own, however.
Opinion
Editor's Note: This piece originally published in Press-Enterprise out of Riverside, CA, and has been republished on IVN with permission from the author. Centrist solutions exist to many of California’s and our nation’s problems. Politics makes it easier to attack an opponent’s position than to
Opinion
Looking at our recent polarized presidential elections — and even the politicization of wearing masks (to combat COVID-19) — it’s easy to say that the partisan divide in our country has never been greater.
Opinion
Looking at our recent polarized presidential elections — and even the politicization of wearing masks (to combat COVID-19) — it’s easy to say that the partisan divide in our country has never been greater. This shouldn’t be surprising, given that our single-seat, winner-take-all electoral system generally divides us into two
Opinion
The reality is millions of voters do not have faith in the electoral process. There are many voters who believe fraud took place. There are many more who feel their voices were silenced or discarded completely.
Opinion
The Electoral College has cast its official votes for president, cementing Joe Biden as the president-elect of the United States. Democrats and Biden supporters are celebrating, while many Republicans and Trump supporters scorn the process. Let’s put aside who we supported or voted for in the presidential election (the
Opinion
One of the most interesting aspects of political psychology concerns the gap between the reasons for which people believe they hold their political opinions and the real causes of their holding those opinions. Typically, that gap generates another one – between the content of arguments a person makes for her political
Opinion
Editor's Note: This piece originally appeared on AllSides, and has been republished on IVN with permission from the author. It is deeply frustrating for many Democrats that Dianne Feinstein and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are members of the same political party. Most Republicans are equally unhappy that they are forced