In January, the Supreme Court heard arguments in two cases which could result in a decision that would severely reduce the scope and regulatory authority of federal government agencies. Such a decision would imperil the effectiveness of the federal government. That effectiveness is already imperiled by actions taken during the Trump presidency as well as the changing attitudes of the general public regarding the federal government. If Donald Trump is successful in his re-election … [Read more...]

  Super Tuesday is a Tuesday early in a presidential election year when a large number of states hold their primaries or caucuses. In 2024, Super Tuesday falls on Tuesday March 5. A total of 16 U.S. states and one territory will hold their nomination contests on that date, and more than one-third of the delegates to the nomination conventions will be decided. In the past, Super Tuesdays have been pivot points that are indicative of who will be the Democratic and Republican nominee … [Read more...]

    The overarching question as we enter this new year is will our American democracy be Trumped. A Democracy or A Dictatorship Stated more directly, will Donald Trump become the Republican candidate for President, win the presidency, use the office to establish a dictatorship, and convert this nation to an authoritarian state? As 2023 wound to a close, there was a deluge of commentary on that possibility. The Atlantic dedicated a special issue titled “If Trump … [Read more...]

    2023 saw the passing of Rosalynn Carter, Dianne Feinstein and Sandra Day O’Connor. These three women were trailblazers. They charted a course, respectively, from their home states of Georgia, California, and Arizona to change the topography of the three branches of the federal government, and to have a significant impact on the United States of America writ large. In the words of Jimmy Buffett, a trailblazer of a different type who also passed in 2023, they … [Read more...]

    America is never wholly herself unless she is engaged in high moral principle. We as a people have such a purpose today. It is to make kinder the face of the nation and gentler the face of the world. My friends, we have work to do. — George H. W. Bush, 1989 Inaugural Address As we noted in our blog preceding this one, our American democracy is on trial. Our country is more divided than it is united. There is a need to rediscover the purpose of this great nation, who … [Read more...]

  Our American democracy is on trial. The jury in that trial is we, the people. Our verdict will determine democracy’s future. Over the past year, much of the political news has been dominated by stories about Donald Trump’s four indictments, the 91 counts against him, and the trials they’ve precipitated. These trials will have direct consequences for the former president. They will have significant and indirect consequences for our American democracy as well. There is a myriad of other … [Read more...]

    Over the past few months, the media has been almost as overwhelmed by stories about the migrant crisis as the country has been by the influx of migrants seeking asylum in the United States. This crisis has intensified America’s immigration dilemma. This dilemma is not new. It has existed for decades. The failure to deal with it constructively in the past has made it more difficult to do so today. In this blog, we examine the immigration dilemma: looking at the surge, its … [Read more...]

  The urban-rural divide has become a popular catch phrase in this 21st century to describe the increasing distance politically between Democratic supporters, who reside primarily in urban areas, and Republican supporters, who reside primarily in rural areas. When it comes to the respective conditions in both of these areas today, however, there is no divide. There is a significant amount of un- or under-addressed physical and human needs in both. We focused on the needs in urban … [Read more...]

There are none so blind as those who will not see. On June 29, the Supreme Court (SCOTUS), in its decision on two cases (Harvard University and the University of North Carolina), ruled that using race-related affirmative action for admission to colleges and universities violated the Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection. The Court’s ruling was a confirmative, retrograde, and disruptive action. The Confirmative Nature of the Court’s Action The decision confirmed that the … [Read more...]