Neal Simon is running for United States Senate. The successful businessman is an affirmed independent, and he is competing in bright blue Maryland against incumbent Democratic Senator Ben Cardin as Cardin seeks a third term.

Simon threw his hat in the ring at an interesting time in political history: Republicans are ‘retiring’ in droves, the House of Representatives appears broken, the Senate seems to be kind of holding it together, the White House is unpredictable, and the Supreme Court has Maryland's landmark redistricting case on its hands.

In April the U.S. unemployment rate fell to 3.9 percent.

That's the lowest it's been since December 2000, after six months at 4.1 percent. But the increase in new hires may have come at the cost of inflation and lower than projected increases in wages, with average hourly earnings up a scant 0.1 percent over the prior month and 2.6 percent year to date.

"Ranked choice voting" is gaining momentum in cities and states across the country. The attention it has gotten in places like Maine -- which will be the first state to use it for statewide elections -- has raised its profile as a popular alternative voting method than what is currently used in most jurisdictions in the US.

This attention also has many unfamiliar with the election reform asking: How does ranked choice voting work?

T.J. O’Hara, the host of Deconstructed, is joined by Kyle Bailey, the campaign manager of both Maine’s ranked choice voting and Terry Hayes for Governor.

The two discuss the history (and struggle) of ranked choice voting in Maine, the benefits of RCV, Maine’s history with independent and third party candidates, the difference between RCV and plurality voting, and more.

There is something happening in Colorado -- something big.

It's been a historic year already for independent candidates, and there is arguably no state in the nation where the independent revolution is burning brighter than Colorado.

It was one of the first states to fully legalize marijuana (along with Washington state) -- something both major political parties have resisted for decades.

Independent voters are the largest voting bloc, with nonpartisan registration surpassing the Republican and Democratic Parties.

JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon seems poised to attack the rising costs of health care one way or another.

Update 5/9/18: Issue 1 -- Ohio redistricting reform -- passed with three-fourths voter support, 74.9% voting "Yes."

Update 5/8/18, 8:57 PM ET: Election results in Ohio point to overwhelming victory for Issue 1, with no active opposition opposing the measure.

For the first time in California's history, a No Party Preference candidate(s) has a real opportunity to reach the November General election.

The possibility of one or more independents getting to November could fundamentally change California politics and the way campaigns are run. That this is even possible is evidence of the profound impact California’s Nonpartisan Top Two reform has had.

What Does This Mean For A Representative Government?

Of the Parties, By the Parties and For the Parties.

People frequently speak about how divided the United States is right now. This comment is often associated with things like left-wing protests on college campuses, discussions of partisan media, and gridlock in Washington DC.

This divisiveness is frequently attributed to “tribalism.” But “tribalism” doesn’t strike me as a very informative explanation. It is merely a description of the effect but, doesn’t say a lot about the cause. The question then is, what makes our society more or less tribalistic?

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