Incumbency Advantage: Why Incumbents Support Campaign Finance Reform

Incumbency Advantage: Why Incumbents Support Campaign Finance Reform

There’s a lot of talk about money in politics. As we have previously discussed, a lot of the concern is misplaced or based on misconceptions. The urge to construct more laws to make things fairer is a popular one among Americans. The idea is that more regulation will stem some of the money flowing into…

10 Political Terms We Should Stop Using Immediately

10 Political Terms We Should Stop Using Immediately

Language is important when communicating ideas. Often, when it comes to politics, words can be twisted, perverted, or misused in order to alter perception. Sometimes a word comes to take on a meaning so distant to its original intent, those of us left communicating ideas forced to either use the word in the new context…

11 Ways the Government is Making you Poorer
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11 Ways the Government is Making you Poorer

Photo by 401(K) 2013 Taxes- Americans don’t like taxes very much, but that doesn’t stop them from having to pay them. And there are a lot! There are payroll taxes, income taxes, property taxes, car taxes, sales taxes, luxury taxes, inheritance taxes, gift taxes, and more! When Americans buy a product at a store, they…

10 Facts About Mexican Cartels
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10 Facts About Mexican Cartels

They’re ruthless and powerful beyond measure. Some say they’re worse than ISIS. Here’s 10 facts you should know about Mexican drug cartels and that country’s bloody drug war. 1.Mexican Cartels rake in $19-$29 billion annually in just U.S. drug sales. That number is astronomically high. Such high profits make buying politicians and law enforcement easy….

Right Here, Right Now: The Fall of the Berlin Wall and the Unfulfilled Promise of World Freedom

Right Here, Right Now: The Fall of the Berlin Wall and the Unfulfilled Promise of World Freedom

On November 9th, 2014 the world celebrated the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The event not only led to the liberation of millions of people and the fall of the Soviet Union, but it effectively ended a near 50 year old cold war nuclear standoff between the USSR and the United…

Higher Revenues with Lower Taxes? The Laffer Curve Explained

Higher Revenues with Lower Taxes? The Laffer Curve Explained

The idea that higher revenues can be raised by lowering tax rates seems counter intuitive to many. In fact, politicians who campaign on lowering taxes are often derided as liars, especially in light of budget deficits. It is often asked: how can anyone promise to cut taxes when the government is already short on revenue?…

Corporate Personhood and the Misconceptions About It

Corporate Personhood and the Misconceptions About It

One term which is often incorrectly inserted into political discourse is corporate personhood. Corporate personhood is a legal concept that arises from the extension of certain rights to market entities for the purpose of facilitating commerce and protecting individuals. Its application to campaign finance law has many erroneously rallying against the legal concept with slogans…

Subsidies are the Steroids of Business

Subsidies are the Steroids of Business

When the use of steroids and performance enhancing supplements became widespread in Major League Baseball, fans were in outraged. If some players had an unfair advantage over others, it sullied the entire sport. Americans who followed baseball felt cheated and duped. Congress even got involved, citing The Federally Controlled Substances Act and anti-trust exemptions held…