Separation of church and state is an idea that comes up frequently in the dialog of American politics. More regularly, now that we have a president who is committed to the evangelical Christian cause in Donald Trump.
In a nation founded on religious freedom, we practice this separation by respecting the rights of people who observe different religions. We ensure that people can practice whatever religion they choose, but we also establish boundaries.
Gallup released its annual poll of most admired men and women of the year. Most of the headlines point to the results as another year both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were named the most admired man and woman among Americans.
For too long, America as been working for the well connected and the powerful while everyday Americans pay the price.
When Jack Black and Ed Helms learned about the anti-corruption work Represent.Us members are doing all across America, they said they wanted to help... sort of...
...no one knew what to expect, then this happened:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiVl5r6zcnQ
Pro tip! Watch to the end for hilarious outtakes!
Ron Paul believes President Donald Trump could be opening himself up to a challenge in the 2020 Republican primary, especially if "things are really much worse" than they appear to be.
For many, 2017 was another tumultuous year in US politics, defined once more by the hyper-partisan divide on Capitol Hill and rhetoric in the media.
Rasmussen published poll results recently that showed that more Americans see a positive future for the US than don't. However, there is more to the story.
Rasmussen found that 43 percent of respondents said "America’s best days are in the future." This is up from June, when 36 percent of respondents expressed optimism for the future, but down from this time in 2016 when 47 percent said the same.
A lot of people feel pretty strongly about their political opinions. Often we feel like they are quite set in stone; based on some very deep values that won't change much.
A lot of people also feel like their opinions are based on well-thought-out logic and reasoning, from gathering evidence.
However, there's substantial evidence to suggest that when another tribe's opinions solidify on an issue, our tribe runs away--and we join them. Our opinions on important issues are often fluid and fickle, changing with political wind more than sound thinking.
A special city council meeting was recently held in Santa Fe, New Mexico to discuss the implementation of ranked choice voting (RCV). In March of 2008, voters in Santa Fe adopted a charter amendment to elect their public officials using RCV.
Here is a quick explanation of ranked choice voting:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIz_nzP-W_c
Whatever your views on the tax bill, Roy Moore vs. Doug Jones or the Trump presidency, the last few weeks should trouble you if you love our country.
Partisan pundits from each of the two warring factions have declared victory or stunning, breathless defeat, depending on the outcome for their team. These three recent flash points demonstrate for me yet again the dangerous and unhealthy times we are in.
Each of these represents clearly the deep divides that drive our politics right now. It worries me. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
It's a development so surreal that you could easily mistake it for a satirical Onion headline as a commentary on how shockingly rampant the allegations of sexual abuse have been this year in the highest positions of power within politics and mainstream entertainment and news media.