Currently holding a 51-49 majority in the Senate, the Democratic Party will be seeking to maintain control after the 2024 election cycle. However, the Senate map paints a daunting picture for Democrat ambitions, with Democrats left defending seven out of the nine competitive races, according to CNN, and are all but guaranteed to lose West Virginia - thereby their one-seat majority - after Senator Joe Manchin’s retirement. With FiveThirtyEight’s polling placing President Joe Biden behind presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in all nine competitive states, Democrats seemed destined to lose Senate control. Nonetheless, early Senate polling suggests otherwise, giving Democrats a glimmer of hope for Senate success.
Read MoreThe year was 1968. Democratic candidates, delegates, and voters gathered in Chicago for what would soon become the last Open Democratic Convention of the modern era. Voters during this convention were primarily concerned with the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War and for equal rights of Black Americans, leading to riots which brought the National Guard to the Windy City to quell them. The convention was tense as incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson decided not to run for a second term, pushing Vice President Hubert Humphrey to the top of the ballot. Although the convention did not lead to a successful Democratic victory for the presidency, it spotlighted the injustices in the Vietnam War and the differing perspectives on candidates.
Read MoreVoting education in high schools is essential to young voters’ involvement in elections. However, there is some debate as to whether U.S. public schools are adequately preparing students to be involved in the electoral process. Schools play a central role in education and civic engagement, and as many have argued, should be doing more to promote such engagement.
Read MorePrimary season is starting, most notably the Michigan primaries are on Tuesday, Feb. 27th. The Democrats pushed up the date of the primaries and the Republicans fought back and introduced a two-step voting system. Now, polls are pointing in one direction, but no candidates have shown any signs of dropping out.
It is becoming clearer and clearer that the Republican candidate for president in November will be Donald Trump, espeically after beating Nikki Haley in her home state of South Carolina.
Read MoreIn the last few years, right-wing extremists have recruited more and distributed more propaganda posters in Upstate New York. Cynthia Miller-Idriss, director of the Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab, said there’s been an increase in harassment and violence by extremists. In the North Country Region, local, state, and even federal positions are being occupied by more Republicans. These extremists have called for their supporters to “get involved” with the militia movement.
The Constitutional Sheriffs are a movement which teaches sheriffs not to observe laws which they themselves deem as “unconstitutional” . They claim that local police should make the final decision in enacting laws, not the federal government. Critics say this interpretation has “no grounding in any legitimate reading of constitutional history.”
The younger generation is becoming significantly more pro-Palestinian following the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. And social media has played a large factor in why.
Read MoreThe Parents' Rights Movement is nothing short of a game-changer in today's social and political landscape. It's a rallying cry for asserting parental authority in the face of what many see as encroachments on traditional family values. Born out of concerns about government overreach, especially in matters concerning education, the movement has become a hot topic in the United States. It's sparked heated debates on issues like sex education, LGBTQ+ rights, and the role of the state in shaping children's upbringing. One of the greatest curiosities of the movement has been the temporary ceasefire it has created, where religious factions, who might normally be at odds, are banding together to safeguard parental rights. The parents' rights movement has emerged as a decisive force even in relatively moderate states like Virginia, where it played a pivotal role in Glenn Youngkin's surprising victory over the liberal former governor Terry McAuliffe. Even in areas known for their liberal leanings, such as Montgomery County, this movement has sparked significant divisions, underscoring its far-reaching impact across the political spectrum.
Read MoreWith the recent events in Gaza and the Biden’s administration’s response. Muslim and Arab voters are in large numbers turning away from Biden. There are 3.5 million Muslims live in the United States as of 2017 with at least 71% of Muslim Americans are registered to vote. A poll from Emgage, a Muslim-American Civic Engagement organization, conducted a study revealing only 5% of Muslim and Arab Americans say they plan to Vote for Biden in the 2024 presidential election, which is a significant decrease from the 86% who supported him after he won the presidency in 2020. This may have set Biden up for failure in many key swing states.
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