National
US Energy Policy and the Power of Lobbying
U.S. Energy Policy is a strange beast. Everybody knows that there are serious problems. We consume almost a quarter of global oil supply. Our power grid is outdated. In 2010, we emitted over 5.4 billion tons of carbon dioxide. We…
A Symbolic Victory in Iraq
In war and in history, images matter. Powerful and accessible, an image can provide an enduring symbol, encapsulating the legacy of an entire war in a single shot. Alfred Eisenstaedt’s iconic photograph for Life magazine of an American sailor kissing…
Immigration Nation
How Immigrants Affect Our City, State and County The cliché that every American is an immigrant exists for a reason: the vast majority of Americans are of foreign descent, with many able to trace their lineage to individuals a few…
A Pacific Railroad Act for the 21st Century
“BY its legislation to finance the war, emancipate the slave, and invest public land in future growth,” wrote Civil War historian James McPherson, “the 37th Congress did more than any other in history to change the course of national life.”…
A Republican Reformer: Buddy Roemer
Charles “Buddy” Roemer III served as the 52nd Governor of Louisiana, from 1988 to 1992. Originally elected as a Democrat, Roemer switched to the Republican Party in 1991. He was a member of the US House of Representatives from 1981…
Vice President… Fortuño
The Governor of Puerto Rico A Heartbeat Away From the Presidency? John Adams once described it as “the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived.” John Nance Garner said the it was worse than “a pitcher of…
Joe Biden: President Obama’s Ace in the Hole
Could ‘Amtrak Joe’ Swing the 2012 Election? There have been some pretty terrible Vice Presidential nominees in America’s history. Andrew Johnson, for example, likely chosen by Abraham Lincoln because he added geographic diversity to the ticket, reportedly showed up drunk…
Moving Beyond the Cold War
NUCLEAR weapons issues have become a more prominent part of political discourse over the past year. This recent upsurge in attention is due at least in part to the debate around and successful ratification of the New Strategic Arms Reduction…