With a government as dysfunctional and polarized as ours, the question is often asked: “Why are there not more independent lawmakers in office?”

Pundits will often offer the answer that it is because A) most Americans have a partisan slant, and B) independent candidates would not have the support or resources to win.

But it is starting to look like those responses are no longer true:

More diversity. More choice. More civility. Those were just a few of the reasons touted by city councilors in London, Ontario, last week when the Canadian city made history as the nation’s first to adopt ranked-choice voting for municipal elections.

Starting in 2018, London will scrap its “first past the post” system – which boosts incumbents and can elect candidates without majority support – and allow voters to name their top three choices for city office.

In such a polarized landscape, it’s hard to believe that the majority of voters actually identify as being an independent. Making up the largest portion of voters in America, they’re the ones who often sway the vote in one direction or another.

In the swing state of Ohio, this is an all-too-apparent fact of life. Despite this fact and the state's notoriously divided voter demographic, few independent candidates have stepped up to speak for the voters.

Enter 24-year-old political newcomer Matt Teaford.

In an extraordinary move, the ACLU, a non-profit, has issued a “travel warning” for the state of Texas. The image, created by the ACLU, warns that authorities could engage in among other things, “illegal arrests” and “racial profiling.”

The “travel warning” is a reaction to the Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott signing into law last week a bill that eliminates Sanctuary City laws from the state of Texas.

Sacramento, CA, May 9, 2017 - The organization that authored California's nonpartisan primary system, the Independent Voter Project (IVP), has submitted a letter in support of AB 901, a bill sponsored by Assemblymembers Todd Gloria and Shirley Weber, that would pave the way for San Diego County to change their primary process and get r

As expected, this hearing was sharply divided among political lines.

There were certainly a few moments and takeaways that stood out from the Capitol Hill testimony of Sally Yates and James Clapper concerning Russian influence in the November election.

On Monday, the Colorado State Senate approved SB 305, a bill that guides the secretary of state on how to write the rules for the state's open primary system, approved by voters under Proposition 108 in November 2016.

This week host T.J. O’Hara is joined by Scot Faulkner. As the first Chief Administrator of the U.S. House of Representatives, Scot discussed his expertise in applying private sector practices to the federal government in the 1990s, in order to “do more with less."

The two discuss D.C.’s corruption during the 90s, the $2.4 trillion in current federal residue funds, the bureaucracy of the federal departments, the failure of diplomatic elite at American Embassies abroad, and more!

When it comes to France's presidential election, the media's focus will be on Macron's landslide victory against opponent Marine Le Pen. Yet, there is another important story that will likely not get as much attention in the days following the election.

Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates will take the oath before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee Monday. Yates is going to field questions concerning Russia’s attempts to interfere with the November election.