In last year’s 117th Congress, 139 out of 535 elected officials (~25%) refused to acknowledge the existence of climate change. It is important to note that these 139 representatives have collectively received $61 million in lifetime contributions from the coal, oil, and gas industries.
Tag: Congress
Choosing How to Choose: Alternative Electoral Systems
While there is likely no single reform that could solve all the problems with American politics, it could be good to look at some alternative voting systems that could be implemented in the United States. The majoritarian electoral system used in the US is not the only type that is used across the world, after all.
Enlarging the House
The House of Representatives is legally mandated to contain 435 seats pursuant to the Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929. This mandate on the number of congressional districts has remained stagnant despite the fact that the average population in each congressional district has nearly tripled from 280,675 persons in 1930 to more than 760,000 persons today.
Minting the Coin: A Debt-Ceiling Panacea or a Trillion-Dollar Boondoggle?
Could minting a single trillion-dollar coin help the Biden administration circumvent political and economic havoc?
A House Divided: Is Congress Fueling or Reflecting Polarization in the US?
If you ask any politically aware person about the state of American politics today, they will likely characterize it with one word: polarization.
Binghamton University Alum Hakeem Jeffries Becomes New House Minority Leader in Democratic Leadership Shakeup
With Jeffries becoming more prominent in American politics now than ever before, Happy Medium offers a profile of the congressman as a politician and as a Binghamton alum.
2022 Midterm Elections Recap
HM Political Director Bryan Goodman breaks down what happened in November and what it means going forward.
Congressional District #19: Josh Riley vs. Marc Molinaro
A look into the upcoming congressional election in NY-19. Featuring an interview with Democratic candidate Josh Riley.
Gen Z Candidates for Congress are Proving that Grassroots Organizing Works
– but not without the help of some
powerful allies.
Let’s Talk About Gerrymandering
“Courts ought not to enter this political thicket.”
The Midterm Effect: Why The Incumbent President’s Party Tends to Struggle
Every two years voters across the country get the opportunity to indicate their approval or disapproval of their current president through the midterm elections. But the inhabitants of the White House won’t change, so why should we care?
What Special Congressional Elections Tell Us About the Midterms
Political Director Bryan Goodman breaks down recent election results and examines data suggesting a current ‘blue shift’ in favor of Democrats.
SCOTUS Reform: Historical Attempts
With the recent Dobbs v. Jackson decision that overturned the previous abortion rulings in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, calls for structural reform to the Supreme Court have increased.
New Yorkers Who Held Power and Made History in Congress
With the midterm elections around the corner, we look back at some of the most influential and groundbreaking politicians that New York has sent to Washington.
The Dead Political Parties of America
By looking at failed American political parties, what they stood for, who made up their voter base, and why they fell, we can better understand our two-party system.
A Sit-down with Former Congressional Candidate Mikayla Ridley
The following is an interview with Mikayla Ridley conducted on February 11, eight days after she dropped out of the NY-22 congressional race.