Four out of five Americans disapprove of Congress'  attempts at serving its nation, a recent study found. This year marks Americans' lowest confidence in Congress since 1973, which amounts to a 10 percent approval rating.

Partisan gridlock is the main culprit for this new low in congressional trust, with 28 percent agreeing that their approval rating was determined by this factor. The second reason given was "failure to accomplish anything or make decisions." At 21 percent of respondents, perception of the legislature as ineffectual comprises nearly half of voters.

As the world becomes more economically interconnected, foreign policy should be seen as increasingly important by American voters.

The future of sustainable energy likely depends on the invention of Low Energy Nuclear Reactions (LENR), sometimes referred to as "cold fusion." From space exploration, geo-economics, and geo-politics to solving the world's climate and energy problems -- such a device, by itself, could revolutionize the world.

When Illinois became the last state in the country to adopt concealed carry, many on both sides were left unsatisfied. Chicago grandfathered in its assault weapons ban. Other towns of at least 25,000 had ten days to enact their own bans under home-rule provision.

Look, I get it. I was big into Ayn Rand too when I was in college. Atlas Shrugged is high on my list of favorite works of fiction, but it is just that -- fiction. It shouldn't be used as a manual for how things should be and the idea of a laissez-faire market cannot be applied to every aspect of life.

The election process has a direct impact on the outcome of any election. Those setting the rules can determine what outcomes are more likely.

In our first-past-the-post, majority-wins system, whoever gets the most votes in a district gets the chair. This gets a little insidious when considering the gerrymandering phenomena: the selective redrawing of districts, and, therefore, the redrawing of who gets elected.

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But, for he knew his title not allowed,

Would keep him still depending on the crowd;

That kingly power, thus ebbing out, might be

Drawn to the dregs of a democracy.

—John Dryden, “Absalom and Achitophel” (1681)

For John Dryden, and just about everybody else in the 17^th century, “democracy” was a dirty word. It had about the same connotation then as words like “anarchy” and “mob rule” have today, and all Dryden had to do to discredit the plots of his enemies was suggest that they might have been democrats.

As the debates roar on and a concrete decision looms nearer, opponents to the national minimum wage increase have spoken at length of its unintended consequences.