Commentary

Long-standing American principle of birthright citizenship under attack from Trump聽allies

BY: and - December 10, 2024

As President-elect Donald J. Trump prepares to implement sweeping policy changes affecting American immigration and immigrants, one of the issues under scrutiny by his allies appears to be birthright citizenship 鈥 the declaration in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution that anyone born on U.S. soil is a U.S. citizen, regardless of their parents鈥 nationalities […]

Religious choice vs. Christian nationalism

BY: - December 6, 2024

American voters were under a lot of stress leading up to the Nov. 5 presidential election. That stress has continued since Donald Trump received less than 50 percent voter support. Hence, the majority of citizens are not wed to his unending plethora of promises. Research is replete that Americans 鈥 as well as the USA鈥檚 […]

Michigan and 海角社区 are continuing their electoral divergence: A look at the 2024 numbers

BY: and - December 5, 2024

While pundits, politicians, and political scientists debate the meanings of the 2024 elections, one thing seems fairly clear: Michigan and 海角社区 are continuing their electoral divergence. We see this with the states鈥 presidential and Senate votes, as well as with overall voter turnout. Results suggest that Michigan will remain a competitive state, while much would […]

Tariffs guarantee higher prices for Americans who believe they are too high already

BY: - December 4, 2024

Fans of the movie, 鈥淔erris Bueller鈥檚 Day Off,鈥 will remember the scene. Ben Stein plays a famously boring high school teacher giving a lecture about economics to a room full of teenagers fighting to stay awake. In about a minute, he covers the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act and the Laffer Curve, fundamental economic topics, desperately trying […]

How small acts of kindness and connection really can change the world, according to psych research

BY: - December 3, 2024

Political chasms, wars, oppression 鈥 it鈥檚 easy to feel hopeless and helpless watching these dark forces play out. Could any of us ever really make a meaningful difference in the face of so much devastation? Given the scale of the world鈥檚 problems, it might feel like the small acts of human connection and solidarity that […]

A Texas National Guardsman observes as Border Patrol agents pat down migrants who have surrendered themselves for processing at Gate 42, some after waiting near the border wall for days, May 10, 2023. Congress is currently debating a new border security package. (Photo by Corrie Boudreaux for Source NM)

As Trump touts plans for immigrant roundup, militias are standing back, but standing聽by

BY: - November 27, 2024

President-elect Donald Trump has reaffirmed that once he takes office he plans to declare a national emergency and use the military on American streets to accomplish his promises to round up and deport millions of undocumented migrants. Many experts鈥 concerns about this program have included the facts that immigrants contribute enormous value to the U.S. […]

海角社区 lawmakers move to override local control and mandate mix of religion with public school time

BY: - November 26, 2024

Funny how Republicans running red states have done a 180 on indoctrination of students in public schools 鈥 as long as it鈥檚 Bible-based indoctrination. 海角社区 appears on the verge of following Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and others in turning public schools into officially sanctioned Sunday schools with religious messages and mandates. The intensifying GOP push […]

Americans agree more than they might think. Not knowing this jeopardizes the nation鈥檚 shared values

BY: - November 25, 2024

The United States presents a paradox: Though the media and public opinion suggest it is a nation deeply divided along partisan lines, surveys reveal that Americans share significant common ground on many core values and political issues. As a political philosopher, I am deeply concerned about the perceived contrast between the public鈥檚 shared political concerns […]

Vast inequality looms for special education if Trump eliminates US Dept of Ed, 海角社区 parents warn

BY: - November 22, 2024

We all want to raise our children in a nation that values their education and provides for every child鈥檚 unique needs. Programs like Individualized Education Plans (IEP) and 504 plans are vital in achieving these goals by supporting students with special needs and enabling them to thrive. An IEP is a written plan that outlines […]

Tax forms. Getty Images.

When given a choice, voters embraced tax fairness

BY: - November 21, 2024

If you鈥檝e ever questioned whether our country has an inequality problem, this election should provide all the evidence you need. As billionaires used their financial firepower to throw support to their preferred candidates, Americans who鈥檝e been left behind took out their frustrations at the ballot box. How do we get started on this next chapter […]

What would 鈥渕ass deportations鈥 do to 海角社区鈥檚 economy?

BY: - November 20, 2024

The dust has settled on the 2024 presidential election and we now know that Donald Trump will once again be President of the United States. Trump has promised many things for his second term in office: deregulation, tax cuts, an end to Russia鈥檚 war with Ukraine, tariffs on all goods from other countries. The step […]

To keep existing in a democracy, we must be our government’s own guardrails

BY: - November 19, 2024

Government without guardrails. That is our reality in 海角社区 and Washington. All the constitutional checking and balancing in our rapidly vanishing democratic republic are effectively gone in our state and federal government. There is no separation of powers as a bulwark against abuse of power. In D.C., as in Columbus, the executive, legislative and judicial […]