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Politics and Governance

Shaholli: Abolish the Filibuster

The time to abolish the filibuster is long overdue. The filibuster is not in the U.S. Constitution. It is not codified law. It is simply a procedural mechanism adopted by the Senate at the suggestion of Vice President Aaron Burr in 1805. Burr thought the previous question motion, which only required a simple majority to […]

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Politics and Governance

The Democratic Party is Not Working for Democrats

Election Night was a “dumpster fire” for Democrats: the nail-biting presidential race when it should have been a landslide; the statewide losses when they were sure they’d flip seats. How is it that in 2020, the year of the greatest public health crisis of our time and the collapse of our economy, Republicans have secured […]

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Politics and Governance

Learning from History: The Case for Unification of the Democratic Party in the Nomination Race

On Sept. 12, 2019, qualifying Democratic presidential candidates hit the stage in Houston, Texas for the third Democratic debate of the year. The highest polling and highest grossing candidates faced off on hot-button issues such as healthcare, race relations, gun violence, immigration, and trade policy, among others. Running throughout the debate was the question of […]

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Politics and Governance

America Needs More Extremists: Confronting the Myth of Political Polarization

The argument that America is in the stranglehold of widening, bitter political battles has become so prevalent that it is widely accepted as true. The problem, however, is that it’s not. Senate Democrats complained that President Obama’s appointments were being blocked by an “obstructionist” Republican minority- even though only 4 out of 1,560 Obama appointees […]