If the party system collapsed overnight, would we really have better candidates?

Suppose closed primaries were all opened—a long-term goal currently pursued by the Independent Voter Project, The Centrist Project, and numerous others, currently gaining real traction.

My heart rate suddenly increased, the casual conversation with my uncle had just crossed the line into politics. Not knowing exactly how I got here but deeply aware of one startling fact; I just breeched the topic of medical marijuana with a religious conservative.

Shaking his head, my uncle expressed his grievances over the recently passed medical marijuana bill in the Pennsylvania Senate. He had an impressive grasp on the cannabis jargon, citing low-level THC strains, edibles, cannabinoids and more.

Amid the ruckus of the first Republican debate, including controversy over the use of polling to determine which candidates are participating, it is easy to forget that 43% of American voters don't identify with either political party. That's a record, and it reflects the alienation voters feel with the two-party system.

On July 20, IVN reported on Dr. Beth Clarkson's work, alleging voting machine tampering in three states.

Interest in this case has definitely grown, with more news sites and groups taking up the story and calling for the Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach to audit the election results.

On Thursday, August 6th, 2015, Jon Stewart will end his 16 year and five month reign as television's most influential political satirist as the host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart."  With less than 24 hours before his last show, viewers' reactions online have been both heartfelt and dismissive.

https://twitter.com/Devon4Real/status/629064624768421888

On July 14, Iran agreed to a nuclear deal in Vienna that would greatly inhibit its ability to develop a nuclear weapon. The agreement, if it goes into effect, will not only cause Iran to forfeit most of its centrifuges and enriched uranium, but it will also establish an inspection regime that covers everything from Iran's two uranium mines to, in the words of Vox,&n

Nate Silver, the founder and Editor-in-Chief of FiveThirtyEight participated in his second AMA (ask me anything) on Reddit, Wednesday. While FiveThirtyEight also covers sports, Silver caught the spotlight in 2012 with laser-like predictive analysis of the POTUS and congressional elections.

The 10 candidates who will appear at the prime-time debate are:

The nonpartisan or "top-two" primary in California is working and the Golden State has more competitive elections, has increased voter access and a better functioning legislature.

The early successes of California's nonpartisan, top-two primary are paving the way toward increased voter representation and decreased partisan gridlock. What this means for all voters is that they finally have a voice when it comes to deciding their representatives, who are supposed to put their constituents before party interests or re-election goals.