Can We Lower Our Prison Population?
09.25.12
The United States incarcerates the highest percentage of its citizens of any country in the world. The country has about 5% of the world’s population but almost 25% of its prisoners, with the world’s largest number of inmates and highest per capita rate of incarceration The prison population has tripled since 1987, with now one …
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Too Much Spending on Political Ads?
09.13.12
The onslaught of advertisements for the upcoming elections has changed in scope and tact in the sake of the means justifying the ends. Advertisements regarding the November elections have infiltrated much of the available advertising spots across a spectrum of platforms. It has now become an aberration to be unaware of the tides in the …
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Superfund: Helping the environment or hurting business?
08.24.12
Originating in 1980, Superfund was a program designed to implement clean-ups on hazardous sites through the mutual funding of the polluters and the government. In 49 of the 50 states, there are still sites designated as Superfund sites by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). An undertaking this large is bound to be very expensive, and …
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What Can Be Done About an Obesity Epidemic?
08.11.12
David Satcher, US surgeon general from 1998-2002, began his “Call to Action” report with “Overweight and obesity ha[s] reached…epidemic proportions.” In 2004, the new U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, said that childhood obesity is “every bit as threatening to us as the terrorist threat.” A congressionally commissioned report from the Institute of Medicine published in …
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Does the 2nd Amendment Work?
07.30.12
“If you live in America, you are four times more likely to be murdered than if you live in Britain, almost six times more likely than in Germany, and 13 times more likely than in Japan” The tragedy of the mass shootings in Aurora has brought out a new cycle of discussion over gun control …
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The Value of High Speed Rail
07.18.12
“Around the world, high-speed rail is not a pipe dream of the distant future, it’s happening right now, and it’s been happening for decades. And thanks to President Obama’s vision, high speed rail is coming to America.” -Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood In September 2010 President Obama officially announced his plans to improve the transportation …
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Public Funding for Professional Sports
07.05.12
Minnesota just built a new baseball stadium for the hometown Twins. Target Field is luxurious and spacious and the perfect confines for a competitive baseball team. The Minnesota Vikings, however do not play baseball and thus need a stadium of their own, or so they say. The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome housed both teams for …
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The Dilemma of the Death Penalty
06.26.12
Recently, Connecticut became the 17th state and the fifth in as many years to outlaw the death penalty. In November, California may join them as well when voters will decide on an initiative about the fate of the death penalty. Retribution for a crime lies in a complex web of factors and laws. For some, …
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Shifting Stances on Medical Marijuana
06.15.12
Seventeen states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes and seven more have proposed legislation that has yet to be decided on. After Californians, in 1996, voted to passed the first initiative to allow medical marijuana, there has been a gradual shift in states attitudes, as well as laws regarding the subject. Based on a combination …
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The Future of Unions
06.08.12
Governor Scott Walker’s victory in the Wisconsin recall elections has not only cemented his place in the forefront of the Republican Party but has also has shined a light on the state of labor unions. Groups on opposing ends of the spectrum have either been quick to draw conclusions or dismiss the results as a …
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Affirmative Action in Education
05.28.12
After the monumental Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision in 1954 to desegregate schools, the country has seen a radical shift in the racial make-up of the educational system. The days of the Little Rock 9 may not seem prevalent in our discussion of the demographics in public education. However, as a generational …
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The Right to Online Privacy
05.16.12
“One thing should be clear, even though we live in a world in which we share personal information more freely than in the past, we must reject the conclusion that privacy is an outmoded value. It has been at the heart of our democracy from its inception, and we need it now more than ever.” …
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National Smart Grid Starts at State Level
05.08.12
A national smart grid has been at the forefront of Barack Obama’s energy administration, yet it is still struggling to get through the state level. A smart grid replaces the traditional method of energy being transferred from the power station to residential homes and businesses. Instead of a meter on each individual home, the local …
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Photo Identification at the Polls
04.26.12
The conundrum of how to solve voter identification discrepancies without a blanket exclusion of downtrodden but eligible voters has spread across the United States. The threat of voter fraud has caused over 30 states to enact new voter identification requirements since 2004. The requirements vary by state and in strictness, with six states currently and …
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