Posted on June 28, 2011
On Thursday, June 23rd, President Obama visited both Fort Drum and New York City and held a total of five events. According to the Washington Post, the three events in New York City were all Democratic National Committee fundraisers. Since his election, the President has attended a total of 59 fundraisers, 12 of which have been in New York. In fact, 50 of the president's 59 fundraisers as president have been in the ten states that donated the most money to Presidential campaigns in 2008.
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Posted on June 23, 2011
The election of capable candidates is arguably the most direct impact that the citizenry can have in this process. Voters rely on the media to create accurate portrayals of each candidate and present a fair opportunity for credible candidates to make their case to their constituents. CNN failed to provide voters the opportunity to evaluate Governor Johnson, instead relying on opinion polls of dubious importance.
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Posted on June 21, 2011
On June 12, Turkey held national elections of great significance. Turkey is a potential new member of the European Union (EU) and often cited as a model for Egypt in its moves toward democracy while balancing elections, a large Islamic population and a strong, largely secular military. The election showed both Turkey’s promise and problematic features that nations like Egypt should avoid.
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Posted on June 16, 2011
Although the Arab Spring movement started in Tunisia, as I discussed earlier this week, the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt was the year’s most stunning development. As the most influential and populous nation in the Arab world, Egypt, both in times of war and peace, has often played a leadership role in the region. The political changes happening in Egypt will certainly reverberate strongly in the region. Now it is turning to the even-harder task of establishing an enduring democracy, which if successful, will set a standard for its neighbors.
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Posted on June 14, 2011
On Friday, June 3rd, President Barack Obama delivered remarks at the Chrysler Group Supplier Park in Toledo, Ohio. This was his 22nd event in the state of Ohio since assuming the presidency. Yet since his inauguration in 2009, the President has yet to hold a single event in ten states: South Carolina, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Utah, Nebraska, Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, or Vermont.
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Posted on June 09, 2011
This post examines the democratic prospects for post-revolutionary Tunisia, as its government delays election date to October.
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Posted on May 31, 2011
On May 4 , the United States Institute of Peace (USIP)in Washington, D.C. hosted an exceptional conference, organized with Georgetown University, entitled “Democratization and Conflict in the Arab World: Challenges, opportunities and dangers”. The aim of the conference was “to offer concrete, policy-relevant insights that will be of benefit to political leaders in the Arab world, as well as to policy makers and activists in the United States working in the areas of human rights, democratic change and the rule of law”.
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Posted on April 25, 2011
On May 5th, British voters will participate in their second-ever national referendum, deciding whether to replace plurality voting for House of Commons elections with the alternative vote (AV). The referendum outcome remains up in the air, but we already know two losers: prime minister David Cameron, who has shown he cannot be trusted, and the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation), the famed news source.
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Posted on April 21, 2011
After the political revolution that struck their country earlier this year, Tunisians are now experiencing a genuine revolution of the mind. In an earlier blog post, I worried about the length of time the Tunisian interim government was taking to implement key measures .However, recent developments have eased my fears considerably.
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Posted on April 20, 2011
Wonder why you never get to see the President? One reason may be that you don't live in a swing state. We know that presidential candidates concentrate their general election time and resources in the few states that can make or break their election. But it turns out that it's not so different once they get elected; a disproportionate amount of time is spent in those same states. One solution to this problem would be the National Popular Vote plan for president.
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