“I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.”  ~Abraham Lincoln

The political scientist Juan Enriquez has observed that when empires fall, it is because people give up on their government, and stop believing that their leaders represent their interests. What was once a vibrant, engaged society becomes a population of individuals focused on narrow self-interest. Quickly, what was once a purposeful nation of shared beliefs becomes just another place on a map.

There have been numerous articles alleging rampant welfare fraud. While most articles focus on blaming poor people who directly receive government benefits, there are no credible statistics demonstrating that the poor are responsible for the majority of the fraud. There exist anecdotal accounts of fraud that get lots of media attention, but those are exceptions, not the rule.

Google defines anecdotal evidence as:

California citizens should be cautious when they register to vote. According to the grassroots campaign, Don't Be AIPrl_Fooled, hundreds of thousands of Californians have registered as members of the American Independent Party (AIP) believing that by doing so they are registering "independent" of any party or any single ideology. The truth is, AIP is a party with strong ideological roots dating back to 1967.

"All politics is local." - former House Speaker Tip O’Neill

The Village Square is about as local and as grassroots as an organization can get, taking a very bottom-up approach to problem-solving. They serve as brokers of conversation with the goal of setting a friendly tone in civic debate. They are about agreeing to disagree, but doing so in a manner where opposing views are respected and listened to.

In March, California Assemblyman Jeff Gorell (R-Camarillo) proposed a new amendment to the state Constitution which if passed would make the secretary of state’s office a nonpartisan office. Gorell believes that it is the obligation and duty of the secretary of state to ensure California has “fair, open, and honest elections” that are certified objectively.

Earlier this month, the United Nations issued a report on the United States’ human rights record, criticizing the country’s recent history with torture, drone strikes, the National Security Agency’s bulk collection of personal data, and the failure to close Guantanamo Bay.

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.