In speaking about the presidency in 1964, Richard Nixon said, "With all the power the president has, the most important thing to bear in mind is this: You must not give power to a man, unless above everything, he has character."

Unfortunately, Nixon did not learn his own lesson, but we can. As Republicans choose a nominee, I hope they realize Newt Gingrich lacks the character ...read more

On Wednesday morning, I turned on the television to see the final results of the Iowa caucuses. When the screen revealed that Rick Santorum had nearly tied Mitt Romney for first place, my wife moaned in near despair, "Who is Rick Santorum?"

There are many Americans who share her plight. Anyone who is not a political junkie and has tried to follow the Republican Party nominatin...read more

                Compromise is a dirty word in Washington, D.C. these days. In fact, Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) refuses to even say the word. Yet, compromise is integral to our constitutional system. The Founders created a system whereby ...read more

The Duty of the American Voter
Hunter Baker, Associate Dean of Arts & Science
Nov 26, 2011

             It has been a bad week in American politics. The Congressional supercommittee has failed to find the combination of spending cuts and revenue increases needed to hit the targets agreed to last summer in exchange for relaxing the debt limit. 

     &nbs...read more

Admitting the Problem is the First Step Toward Solving It
Sean Evans, Chair and Associate Professor of Political Science
Nov 18, 2011

In his 1948 presidential campaign, Harry "Give 'em Hell" Truman attacked Republican policies saying, "I never give anybody hell. I just tell the truth and they think it's hell."

Today, we have the exact opposite. Our politicians do not tell us the truth because the budgetary truth is too hellacious. Instead, we see politicians make demagogic and dishonest statements ...read more