According to the conventional wisdom, incivility in political campaigns hurts democracy – it increases skepticism, reduces turnout, and creates a hostile public atmosphere. But according to new research by Deborah Jordan Brooks (Dartmouth College) and John G. Greer (Vanderbilt University), this conventional wisdom is incorrect. In their recent article, “Beyond Negativity: The Effects of Incivility on the Electorate,” which appeared in the January 2007 issue of the American Journal of Political Science, there is “no evidence that even the most despised of candidate messages – negative, uncivil, trait-based messages – are harmful to the democratic engagement of the polity” (12). In fact, there is even... [Read more]

Most of the dozens of third parties in the US are state-, region-, or issue-specific. A good example is the Alaskan Independence Party, which claims to have about 13,500 members, making it the state’s third largest party. If you live in Fairbanks, check out their party convention, going on this weekend at the Regency Fairbanks Hotel. The Alaskan Independence Party is basically a libertarian party with Alaska-specific concerns. Among the party’s primary goals are: A statewide referendum on statehood status, during which the party will support some form of independence for Alaska. This may not necessarily be complete secession from the US, but will definitely involve far greater independence for Alaska than current interpretations... [Read more]

The Republicans have picked their nominee, and the Democrats are well on their way, but it isn’t too late for third party and independent candidates to throw their hats into the ring. That’s why I’d like to take a moment and make a bold suggestion: ALTON BROWN FOR PRESIDENT That’s right – the Food Network’s Alton Brown (AB) should run for President. Before you scoff at the idea, let’s take a look at some of his strengths as a candidate: He has strong name recognition – at least as good as Ralph Nader’s among younger voters. He can claim strong connections to the people of three major regions (and their delicious electoral votes): he was born in Los Angeles, went to college at the University... [Read more]

A couple weeks ago, I wrote “Diplomatic Recognition for Kosovo,” in which I discussed the US President’s power to extend diplomatic recognition to foreign states. In response, Steven Searle, a Chicago-based write-in candidate for President, wrote “Kosovo and US Presidential Power.” In this essay, Searle contends that the US Constitution does NOT grant the US President the sole choice of extending or canceling diplomatic recognition of foreign states. He asks “why should we assume that the power to make the ultimate form of treaty (diplomatic recognition) should rest solely in the hands of the President?” He goes on to ask “[i]f the power to grant diplomatic recognition rests solely with the President,... [Read more]

During the past few weeks, both Clinton and Obama have each claimed to be best able to defeat McCain in November. Of course, victory in November means getting at least 270 votes in the Electoral College. So just for fun, let’s compare the Electoral College vote count of the two Democratic contenders. If the general election were being held between Clinton and Obama, here’s what the Electoral College vote would look like so far: Votes Required to Win = 270 Clinton = 263 Obama = 193 Votes Remaining =  82 Difference Between Clinton and Obama =  70 So if the Electoral College were voting today between Clinton and Obama, neither candidate would have a majority. In that case, the president is chosen by the House of Representatives (which... [Read more]