democracy
Opinion: Public school is the place to teach the contention of democracy, not censor it
This commentary originally appeared in the Virginia Mercury. Fights over public education in Virginia and other states that propose to divert resources from public schools or limit the ideas students can explore threaten democracy at its roots. I am a Fairfax County, Virginia, public school teacher and a parent. I teach courses on government, American […]
Not just Ohio: Biased language is the hot new tactic to thwart ballot measures
Abortion-rights supporters filed a lawsuit Monday against what they call “deceptive” ballot language produced by Ohio officials for the state’s closely-watched upcoming referendum on the issue. But it isn’t just the Buckeye State that’s lately seeing fierce battles over the once-obscure topic of ballot language. In recent weeks, officials in Missouri — where another abortion-rights […]
Political accountability depends on participation in elections
Oklahoma persistently has one of the lowest rates of voter participation in the country. Our voter registration is low and our voter turnout is also low — a double whammy. Of the state’s estimated 3 million eligible voters, roughly one-third are not registered, and another third do not vote regularly. In most elections, more Oklahoma […]