Democracy: Back on the Agenda
Fixing American democracy is suddenly back on the agenda in Congress, in the states, and among the voters – despite the conventional wisdom that the public is bored by procedural… Read more »
Author Archives: Paul Schimek
The Supreme Court and American Democracy
On June 27, 2018, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy resigned, setting off a fierce battle for the future of American democracy. The American right, grouped in the Republican Party, sees… Read more »
How Will the Trump Error End?
Justice is closing in on Trump. Literally. Thanks to information about hush-money payoffs that could result in charges of bank fraud, wire fraud, or campaign finance violations, Federal investigators will… Read more »
America’s Primary Problem
It’s becoming increasingly clear to me that primary elections — with varied dates and rules, incredibly low turnout, and frequent plurality winners, when there is any contest at all —… Read more »
Thwarting the Majority
The election of Donald Trump in 2016 thwarted the will of Americans. According to official counts, Trump secured the Republican nomination by winning 46% of the Republican primary vote, representing… Read more »
The French Presidential Election is Not the U.S. Presidential Election
The 2017 French presidential election has some resemblance to the U.S. 2016 Presidential contest: An anti-immigrant, nationalist espousing populist rhetoric surging in the polls (Marine LePen in the role of… Read more »
A Perfect Storm of Defects
A habitual liar with no relevant experience but a long history of shady business dealings becomes the supreme leader of the most powerful nation in the world, a nation with… Read more »
How the U.S. got an “Electoral College” (and why it’s still around)
Many people believe that the Electoral College was primarily created by the Framers of the Constitution because they were afraid of democracy or because they wanted to protect small states. These notions… Read more »
But Can She Govern?
With less than a week to go before Election Day, it looks like Hillary Clinton is almost certain to win, despite Trump’s recent surge in the polls and the FBI… Read more »
Fair Treatment of Political Parties: the Gap Between International Standards and US Practice
In 1990, following the collapse of the Communist countries of Eastern Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) convened a meeting of its member states, including all the… Read more »