The 2024 Presidential Election
ith this news making headlines, we go back in American history to uncover some of the stories of previous one-term presidents that preceded Trump.
The Early History of the Kennedy’s
From former President John F. Kennedy to past Kennedy’s that have served as senators, ambassadors and in other high ranking government positions, the name today still signifies power and prestige. However, go back just three generations from JFK and the Kennedy’s were poor, Irish refugees who had just arrived on the shores of America. This week – we discuss …
The Consequences of Voter Error
In 2006, Filipino immigrant Elizabeth Keathley mistakenly registered to vote while at a DMV in Illinois. After receiving her Voter ID in the mail, she ended up casting a ballot in the next election thinking she could do so. However, she wasn’t a U.S. citizen at the time and, because of her actions, faced eventual deportation back to the Philippines.
The Native American Vote: A Group Plagued By Voter Marginalization
There are more than 5.2 million Native Americans living in the U.S., yet only a small fraction cast a ballot each election cycle. What factors lead to this low turnout? Viewpoints speaks with two experts about how historical bias feels into the current challenges facing this group.
The 12 Million Undocumented Immigrants in the U.S.
In 2016, President Trump ran on a platform that vowed to deport all of the undocumented immigrants in the country. However, four years later and this population is still relatively the same. Is it a practical plan to deport millions who have lived in the U.S. for more than a decade, are law-abiding and fill important jobs that would otherwise be vacant?
One Country, Two Systems: The Deepening Political Crisis in Hong Kong
With the proposal of a new national security law in late May further tightening China's grip on the semi-autonomous territory of Hong Kong, the region is at a crucial tipping point.
Rethinking Healthcare: How Do You Fix a Flawed System?
The topic of healthcare is one of the most-debated issues so far in the 2020 election – but what’s the fix for the expensive, inefficient system that’s currently in place? So far it’s a murky answer. Millions are struggling with the high cost of care, doctors are burning out and patient-doctor interaction is at an all-time low. We speak with an industry …
Voter Error: How a Trip to the DMV Turned Into Years of Legal Woes
Filipino immigrant Elizabeth Keathley mistakenly registered to vote while at a DMV in Illinois through a federal law best known as the Motor Voter Law. This originally well-intentioned program is now trapping hundreds of immigrants into federal charges and possible deportation for an act they didn’t fully comprehend to begin with.
The Need for Investigative Journalism
Investigative journalism is a necessity in a democracy. Independent journalists putting in long hours to serve as watch-dogs for our government can have long-lasting ramifications, just look at the impact Woodward and Bernstein made with their Watergate investigations. We talk to one expert about the current state of investigative journalism in America and …
The Rise of Confrontational Politics (2018)
Politicians have always stirred up controversy, but no politician has ever done it as often, or as well as Donald Trump. We talk to two experts about the attraction to these politicians.
Post-Election Protests: Can They Make Real Change?
Two political science experts discuss how movements in the past have brought about change and how they compare to the Women's March, the March for Life and the March for Science.
The Precarious Position of African-American Republicans
Author Corey Fields explains what motivates black Republicans and how they’re treated both at home and within their party.
Women Running for President
It might surprise you to know that hundreds of women have run for president. One of our guests introduces three prominent females who made progress in running for the White House.
High-Conflict Politicians (2016)
Throughout American history we’ve had politicians who stir up controversy during their campaigns: Bernie Sanders, Pat Buchanan, Joe McCarthy and now Donald Trump, to name just a few. These candidates are what one of our guests calls “high-conflict politicians.” What is the attraction some voters have for these candidates? Why are they so loyal to them? And …
Encouraging Young People to Vote
Young people love political campaigns but, unfortunately, they don’t have the same enthusiasm about voting in elections. Why is this? And how can we encourage more young people to cast their votes on election day? We talk to two political specialists about the phenomenon and how we can make it easier for America’s youth to vote.
The Political Classroom: Teaching Civics (2016)
Civics classes in many grade schools and high schools aren’t the same as they were 20 years ago. These days, kids are more likely to discuss and debate some of the most pressing issues of the day. We talk to two educators about how some schools are teaching students how to debate correctly, how discussion of hot topics can foster understanding of diverse …
David Axelrod on Obama and Politics
The presidential election season is in full swing, and candidates are doing their best to make themselves attractive to the primary voters and to the general public for the November election. Our guest was in the thick of things during the last two election cycles and talks about how Barack Obama got elected to the highest office in the land. He also offers …
Social Media and the Presidential Election
Snapchat is quickly rising to the top of the social media hierarchy, and presidential candidates want to tap into its growing audience. But how exactly do you reach young voters on social media without sounding “too political” and boring? We speak with two media-savvy election pundits about the issue.
George Washington and Presidential Powers
The President of the United States has a lot of powers that we think are given to him by the U.S. Constitution. You might be surprised to find out, however, that very little in that document actually outlines the job or the authority the Commander-in-Chief possesses. We talk to a historian about how executive powers and privilege for the President were …
A New Look at the Bill of Rights
When we learn about the Bill of Rights in school, we often look at it as ten separate amendments to our Constitution instead of as a single, well-structured work, like a poem or symphony. Our guest didn’t see this either, until he needed a document to type while practicing his word processing program. We’ll hear about his realization that the Bill of Rights …
