democracy

This post originally ran in May 2012. We are reviving it at this time in conjunction with Bernie Sanders' call for a free public college education for all. We hope it sheds some light on why this not only isn't a radical idea, but is one deeply rooted in our nation's history. Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Satellite images released by NATO show Russian forces operating within the borders of Ukraine's sovereign territory. Dutch Brigadier General Nico Tak gave a sobering assessment of the escalating offensive in a press conference Thursday.

With the declaration of martial law by the head of Thailand's military, the east-Asian country faces a severe test of its still fragile democracy. Protests and violence had marred elections last year, but a stopgap measure by the military looks more every day like an out-and-out coup.

It wasn’t too long ago that “transparency” and “disclosure” in political fundraising were rallying cries from Republicans. But four years after the Supreme Court majority in Citizens United v. FEC promised unlimited political fundraising posed no risks of corruption as long as the donors are disclosed, the 2014 election is shaping up to have the most undisclosed money ever. And with Congress tied in knots on nearly every policy issue, we shouldn’t hold our breath for a legislative fix to shine a light on this “dark money.”

The Obama administration slapped new visa restrictions Thursday on pro-Russian opponents of the new Ukraine government in Kiev and cleared the way for financial sanctions as the West began punishing Moscow for its occupation of Ukraine's Crimea region.

In a speech at the University of Miami, Hillary Rodham Clinton applauded Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's refusal to sign onto a hateful 'religious freedom' bill that would have made it easier to discriminate against gay couples. Clinton also promoted civic participation, and talked on a range of foreign policy issues.

The Wall Street Journal offers a timely and sobering account of the painfully inadequate broadband many of our schools rely on. This is hardly surprising, since the nation that invented the Internet and once led the world in connectivity is now 15th. Schools, particularly in rural America, have crummy broadband connectivity because of a lack of competition in the broadband market.

As video of this alarmingly intelligent and articulate young man begins to sweep the Internet, it'd be good to recognize his many points and ideas — and not just his ability to deliver them in front of a camera. Egypt's continued turmoil is hugely important on a global scale, but no where bigger than locally within the country. The young man's points sound familiar, don't they?

Why do policymakers focus so intently on the deficit issue? Because the small minority of wealthy individuals that see the deficit as the nation’s priority have more clout than the majority that didn’t.