the weaker party

Blue Mountain School District. v. J.S. : SCOTUSblog The Supreme Court will once again weigh in on students speech - whether it is covered ...

First challenge on new Obama appointees : SCOTUSblog Legal challenges to Obama's recess appointments have begun. Business groups are p...

The consensus seems to be that he made a mistake running for the presidency as a moderate in a party that is not open to moderates at the mo...

He's the billionaire casino/hotel magnate that has pumped $5 million into the pro-Newt Gingrich Super PAC:  Winning our Future . The or...

The UN secretary argued as much : “The old way, the old order, is crumbling – one-man rule and the perpetuation of family dynasties ... mono...

Some random stories to cover in class: - Despite Romney's wealth and difficulty connecting with middle and lower class voters, blue coll...

Remember to input your answer to this question in blackboard!!! A good way to set us up for the semester - where we will look at each indivi...

Remember to input your answer to this question in blackboard!!! Dear 2301s: For your introductory written assignment I want you to be a bit ...

This continues is an ongoing theme on this blog. Do people have the knowledge necessary to make the decisions necessary to sustain a democra...

We covered this case last semester : In what may be its most significant religious liberty decision in two decades, the Supreme Court on...

From the Washington Post : President Obama’s decision to issue recent recess appointments is constitutional, because rece...

From the Washington Post : President Obama asked Congress on Friday for the power to consolidate parts of the federal gove...

This might be best opportunity ever to watch the internal workings of Super PACs. Stephen Colbert founded  Americans for a Better Tomorrow, ...

In a post below I mentioned that some argue that presidential campaigns do not matter and that votes for or against sitting presidents are d...

I'll try to formulate a question around this theme at some point, probably for 2301 in terms of ideology. Freedom - and liberty in gener...

The 30 minute video produced by pro- Newt Gingrich Super PAC Winning Our Future may be having an effect on front runner Mitt Romney. The...

So says an appellate court : A federal appeals court today blocked a measure that would’ve made Oklahoma the first state in the nation to ...

For comprehensive info on yesterday's vote click on the links below: - The NYT has the full results here . - Wikipedia: New Hampshire Pr...

Forsyth County, N.C. v. Joyner : SCOTUSblog

No Citizens United expansion : SCOTUSblog

States: “Coercion” theory is at stake : SCOTUSblog

A second speech case is in the news today, in this case an injunction of the enforcement of a recently passed Texas law requiring doctors ...

We will soon find out. The Supreme Court heard arguments today in FCC v Fox about whether the FCC can punish broadcasters for fleeting expl...

The FDA recently approved the continued use of birth control manufactured by Bayer. The Washington Monthly found out that some of the member...

So finds the Gallup Poll . 40%. Democrats - 31%, Republicans - 27%. This includes independents who lean towards one of the two major par...

In the sections on public opinion (2301) and Presidential Approval, as well as persuasion (2302) we mention that presidential approval tends...

Story from the NYT : President Obama announced Monday that the White House chief of staff, William M. Daley, was stepping down, jolting th...

ScotusBlog outlines the expected arguments , which will include a challenge to the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The t...

A Houston Chronicle writer suggests that political consultants were a driving force in persuadign Governor Perry to run for presdient, not n...

One of the concerns expressed over cuts to the Defense Department is that it may undermine research and development. One of the by-products ...

1 - The Justice Department has expanded its definition of rape to include sexual assaults of men. 2 - A major player in the battle against ...

The Washington Post reports that a far higher percentage of members of Congress are millionaires than the general population. As we conside...

President Obama announced his military policy yesterday.  NYT coverage can be found here . A little snippet:  Mr. Obama outlined a new natio...

One of the points we hit in 2301 - when we discuss the media - is the development of the objective, independent press, and how it arose from...

For our ongoing look at interest groups - and their influence on the 2012 elections - you might want to glance through the Club for Growth ...

It involved a great deal of data which allowed his campaign to target specific voters . Modern campaign techniques involves data, high power...

. . . may be profound : The authors wonders if he might be leading a generational shift within the party, and the efactions within it - one ...

Senate Republicans continue to block President Obama's nominees to executive agencies and he responded recently by making recess appoint...

The Iowa Caucus was over a couple days back and before too much time passes here are some useful links detailing the results and trying to m...

Sorry to be behind in my postings. One of my sons broke his arm falling from some monkey bars and we had to spend a couple days in the hospi...

After a debate filled fall, the competition for the Republican nomination is about to get serious. Actual elections will be held and delegat...

To add to this week's coverage of civil liberties, John Whitehead reviews the year in civil liberties and does not like what he sees. A...

How Kim Jong Il Became the Most Successful Dictator in Modern History - The Atlantic

One author wonders ; another debunks him thoroughly . 2301s: within a couple weeks we will be looking at polls and explaining that there is ...

This column hits a often repeated political theme - candidates for the presdiency must first win their party's nomination before they c...

Andrew Sullivan breaks it down .

This builds off posts far below, but might an exhuberant proposal to protect copyright holders online ruin the internet? People on the left ...

An ongoing theme in this class (one of them anyway) is whether the general public has the disposition necessary to be the basis for a system...