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Independent Voter Project Withdraws Initiative: Asks SOS if 2012 Election Was Conducted Properly

In 2012, California held its first elections under its new nonpartisan "Top-Two" Primary system. All statewide elections in California, except for the office of president, were conducted under this system. The presidential primary was, instead, conducted under the old semi-closed partisan primary rules.

Rand Paul Back on the Filibuster: Federal Reserve, You're Up

Update 1/6/2014 3:15 PM PT: Final vote on Janet Yellen's confirmation: 56 Yes to 26 No

Update 1/6/2014 3:00 PM PT: The vote to confirm Janet Yellen as the new chair of the Federal Reserve began at approximately 2:30. The vote has reached a simple majority. Final vote to come.

Update 1/6/2014 2:15 PM PT: Rand Paul's Facebook page announced that his flight to DC was delayed. He will not be in chamber for the vote.

In the 21st Century, Are We Still a Tribalistic People?

A philosopher, who is a friend of my mentor, stated that he believes humans are still racially tribalistic. People gravitate toward those of the same ethnicity when finding a place to live, whether it be conscious or subconscious.

What he pointed to was an interactive map that displayed ethnically color-coded dots for each household based on 2010 census data. Many urban centers of population are diverse as a whole, but within the cities are distinguishable communities grouped by ethnicity.

Competitors In NY's 11th Congressional District Fight for Moderate Vote

When one thinks of the political “center” of America, the 11th Congressional District in New York, comprised of Staten Island and southern Brooklyn, is hardly the first image that comes to mind.

5 Online Resources To Help Make You a More Informed Voter

Numerous polls have revealed that there is widespread ignorance when it comes to politics. In 2012, a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that less than half of those surveyed knew where the upcoming primary would be held, and only 53 percent knew that former presidential candidate Mitt Romney served as the governor of Massachusetts.

IVN Users Recommend New Year's Resolutions for Congress

To help us ring in the New Year, we asked our community of independent-minded voters on Facebook to suggest one New Year's resolution for Congress.

Taxpayers Continue to Flee States with Heaviest Tax Burdens

United Van Lines (UVL) is one of the largest moving companies in the United States. Each year since 1977, UVL has issued a study of interstate migration patterns. This study reports the share of outbound shipments in total interstate shipments for UVL for each of the 48 “Lower United States” (e.g. all states but Alaska and Hawaii). We include this data in State Data Lab, along with a wide variety of other economic, demographic, and government financial data.

California Water Policy: Driest Year in State History Leads to Debate

The year 2013 marked the driest year recorded in California history. December is typically a wet month in the state, but the Summer-like Winter in 2013 was both a blessing and a curse. A serious debate on the state's water future is imperative.

The Unified Primary: A New Way to Conduct Nonpartisan Elections

Entrepreneur

Mark Frohnmayer is spearheading an initiative in Oregon to completely reform the electoral system in the state.

A New Year's Resolution We Can All Share: Be Informed, Be Engaged

New Year's Day has come and gone -- welcome to 2014. For many, it is time to get back to the daily grind as the holiday season has come to an end -- or will soon come to an end.

Some people began the year with their own resolutions for 2014, personal achievements to strive for, but often fall at the wayside. For some, these resolutions are often the same -- lose weight, pick up a book, travel more -- but a goal is only worth something if there are real efforts to pursue it.