Note: The author of this article is Emily Matthews. Emily has worked in a vast array of jobs in the political arena and strives to find common ground across party lines.

As the one year anniversary of the 2016 presidential election passes into history, an election people will continue to analyze, critique, and study for generations to come, I, a responsible voter, reflect on what was one of the most exhausting yet meaningful years of my life.

We are seeing new energy in our campaign to elect independent candidates nationwide.

The Associated Press on Thursday featured the Centrist Project's efforts to recruit and support independent candidates in 2018: "Washington infighting breeds new independent candidates."

Do you think the government should have a hand in dictating morality by applying the punishment of death to someone who commits a crime? If your answer is no, you might like what is happening in Washington state.

In Washington state, lawmakers across both sides of the aisle are optimistic that 2018 will be the year that the death penalty is put to rest in the Evergreen State.

Last weekend’s brief shutdown of our federal government pointed to the hyper-partisanship and paralysis that plagues our federal government.

“Why,” wonder many people, “can’t these people just stop arguing and start doing the people’s work?”

Ironically, just this week the National Association of Non-Partisan Reformers (NANR) announced its launch. It’s a group of individuals and election reform organizations dedicated to increasing electoral competition and voter choice.

Before the 2016 presidential election, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer had some choice words for then presidential candidate Donald Trump. In a May interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board, Faulconer said, "I'm not endorsing Donald Trump. He hasn't earned my vote."

With the second annual Women's March taking place this past weekend, feminists nationwide came forward to resist the Trump administration's actions against women.

However, one obvious change that would impact many women's lives for the better was often ignored: the move to a single-payer health care system.

For San Diego sports fans, 2018 couldn't come fast enough.

After losing their NFL team in 2017 to a city to the north, news that one of the city's most beloved sports icons will enter the MLB hall of fame was a salve on an open wound.

Trevor Hoffman spent 16 years with the Padres, his signature entrance to the iconic rock of AC/DC's "Hell's Bells," a tone setting moment for fans. Hoffman finished his MLB career with 601 saves, which was a record when he retired and he's still second to just the great Mariano Rivera.

On Monday, Donald Trump imposed a 30 percent tariff on imported solar panel technology, mostly targeted at Chinese solar panel manufacturers whose prices have become dramatically more competitive in recent years.

This means whatever a foreign company's price is for solar panel parts, the U.S. will make American businesses and households pay 30% more – and it will go right to the U.S. Treasury.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-Z1YpMQiWA

In a new edition of the Ron Paul Liberty Report, Dr. Ron Paul -- former Republican US representative and presidential candidate from Texas -- discusses an agreement between North and South Korea to march together under one flag for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.

Ever heard this joke? “American politics is like a highway of progress. Republicans stand on the right saying turn right, Democrats stand on the left saying turn left, and Independents stand in the middle, hopelessly waiting to be ran over.”

If you haven’t heard it, you have now, and you probably understand why people think it’s humorous.