A country sets up elections that offer citizens two sharply oppositional and polarizing choices of leadership. Alternative candidates are strong-armed and frozen out of the process. Their voices are stifled. This results in the election of a candidate reviled by a large portion of the electorate.

The 2014 midterm election is more than a year away. Nevertheless, congressional incumbents have been busy gearing up for the ever-longer campaign season. The fundraising deadline for Q2 was June 30 and fundraising powerhouses like Paul Ryan and Lindsey Grahm have continued to post seven figures.

Local groups in Texas have banded together to help prevent voting rights violations from happening in the state after the Supreme Court struck down a provision in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which determined the states and local governments subject to extra federal scrutiny because of a history of past discrimination against ethnic minorities. Texas was one of the states required to appeal to the U.S. Department of Justice before changing state election laws.

After his bid for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination fell short, former Texas congressman Ron Paul is dipping his toe into independent media broadcasting.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the implementation of California's Proposition 14 on Thursday in the case Chamness v. Bowen. Proposition 14, approved by California voters in 2010, implemented a nonpartisan top-two primary system in the state.

Congressional leaders were unable to come to a conclusion on how to deal with federal student loan interest rates. July 1st was the deadline, but that interest rate will double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent. Student loan debt rises every minute and it has reached a total of $1 trillion. Higher interest rates can accelerate the issue.

The infographic below, provided by OnlineColleges.com, outlines the pressing issue of student loan debt in the United States.

July 4 is a time of heightened patriotism. Celebrating our independence from Great Britain's rule, Americans across the nation gather with friends and family to commemorate the establishment of our freedom and the principles on which our country was founded.

The bipartisan agreement to limit the scope of American presidential debates is exemplary of the paltry nature of national political discourse.

As Independence Day approaches, and flags hang from the windows of street corner cafes, suburban homes and billion dollar corporations, it is important to reflect on what it means to be a citizen in this country and what it will take to continue being proud.

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel had his first in-person meeting with the panel responsible for reviewing the Department of Defense's (DoD) policies and procedures regarding sexual assault on June 27. Until then, the Defense Secretary had participated in the meetings by teleconference.