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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In 2016 the Libertarian Party enjoyed 50-state ballot access for the first time since 1996, and polled higher than any third party had since Ross Perot took the 1992 presidential election by storm on the Reform Party ticket.

It was a remarkable year for the LP in its half century history (the Libertarian Party was founded in 1971), during an election year that was remarkable in other ways for the two main political parties.

The Maine Republican Party filed a complaint against Secretary of State Matt Dunlap Friday, asking the court to find ranked choice voting unconstitutional on the grounds that it is their right to decide how many of their primary voters actually matter.

It is yet another development in the ongoing efforts by the political establishment to defy the election reform before the June 12 primary.

This week, supporters of the California Consumer Privacy Act submitted 625,000 signatures statewide in an effort to qualify for the November ballot.

Alastair Mactaggart, lead sponsor of the initiative said, "Today is a major step forward in our campaign, and an affirmation that California voters care deeply about the fundamental privacy protections provided in the California Consumer Privacy Act."

In January 2018, the CEOs of corporate giants Amazon, Berkshire-Hathaway, and JPMorgan Chase announced a joint venture to seek "ways to address healthcare for their U.S. employees, with the aim of improving employee satisfaction and reducing costs."

The people of South Carolina in 2014 certified for the ballot possibly one of the most effective independent parties in the nation in 2014.

Editor's note: this article was co-authored by Cathy Stewart (introduction) and Caroline Donnola (main article).

Imagine if Bernie didn't have to run as a Democrat.

Thanks to California's non-partisan primary, the Our Revolution endorsed Gayle McLaughlin can.

Why?

Because in California, (except for the presidential race), the rules are the same for every candidate and voter, regardless of party.

Byline Note: This article was co-written by Harry Kresky, general counsel for Independent Voting, and Wayne Griffin, chairman of the SC Independence Party and Greer City Councilmember.

T  he South Carolina Republican Party is asking voters on primary day to weigh in on whether voters “believe they should have the option to choose to affiliate with a political party when they register to vote. …”

This “advisory” vote seems innocent enough. Until you take a closer look.