In Illinois' 17th Congressional District, a re-match is set which may help determine the balance of power in the House of Representatives.

Stretching from Rockford in north central Illinois, extending south and west along the border with Iowa, before finally reaching Peoria in central Illinois, the 17th district sees Colona native and former Republican congressman Bobby Schilling attempting a political comeback.

Edward Snowden famously noted that his greatest fear regarding his revelations is that “nothing will change.”

But on March 24, almost a year after Snowden's first interview, President Obama spoke about proposing legislation to Congress which would end the NSA’s bulk collection of American phone records. Although appearing progressive on its face, the politics at play behind Obama's NSA reforms deserve further investigation.

Despite police fears that legal marijuana businesses attract crime, including under-the-table drug dealing, weapons violations, and robberies, a new study says the opposite might be the case.

Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas analyzed major crimes from 1990 to 2006 in the United States, paying particular attention to early medical marijuana states:

Merriam-Webster defines an Oligarchy as:

… a country… …that is controlled by a small group of people…

The need for election reform in the United States is a long-term issue which has yet to be addressed in any meaningful way.

It was another article about the antics and dirty politics along partisan lines:

“But now, our government threatens to change all of that. A new government health care mandate says that our family business must provide what I believe are abortion-causing drugs as part of our health insurance.”  —David Green, Founder of Hobby Lobby

Hobby Lobby’s case against the Affordable Care Act would be much more compelling if David Green were a Catholic—or at least somebody who believed that contraception was inherently sinful. No such luck.

Did you know Turkey recently shot down a Syrian fighter jet for allegedly violating Turkey's airspace? No? Neither did most people. It is a story that hasn't gotten much coverage here at home. Maybe it is simply because cable news networks -- colloquially known as the mainstream media -- don't think it is major news (read: ratings driving news). However, according to independent investigative journalist Ben Swann, it may be bigger than many people realize.

"Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer."

John F. Kennedy spoke these words in 1958 regarding the political challenges faced in America. Kennedy called for following a path of compromise -- to move the nation forward by seeking common ground between opposing interests.

Nate Silver made waves on Sunday when he predicted a GOP win in the mid-term Senate elections.

After Silver's success predicting the 2012 elections, many are keeping a close eye on what he says this year. However, the media response could be counting chicks before the eggs have hatched.

For decades, the American prison system has grown in size and shape.

According to the ACLU, the U.S. represents 5 percent of the world's population, but holds claim to 25 percent of the world's prison population.1 out of 99 adults are living behind bars, and 1 out of 15 African-Americans are imprisoned. Further, 1 out of 13 African-Americans cannot legally vote because of laws which deny ex-felons the right to vote.