I was asked a series of questions about Mormonism and the progressive wing of American politics by a UK periodical.  I typically try to separate religion and politics in my…

Does Spending in Elections Influence Outcomes? You’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who believes that money isn’t absolutely crucial to running an effective campaign for political office. It costs money…

With the presidential election heating up there is one soundbite we hear from both sides on a regular basis – unemployment.  Although each side will lay out persuasive stories to…

With November right around the corner our country is bracing for a barrage of political attacks, skewed data, and faulty logic.  It is our job as citizens to vet these…

I am someone who has personally benefited from some of President Obama’s economic policies. In addition to getting the temporary payroll (Social Security) tax break, I am now refinancing my…

President Obama’s recent announcement of his support for gay marriage sparked a firestorm of debate across the country. For Mormon Democrats such as myself, it has put us at odds…

President Obama’s Affordable Care Act (ACA) was not directed at the poorest Americans, who already have Medicaid, but at the working poor. This includes those who work full-time, but cannot…

Positive rights should not just be viewed through the lens of entitlement. Positive rights are similar to public goods in that they provide positive benefits to society as a whole…

In the last post, I illustrated how the positive right to an education is essential to a modern economy. Most Americans do not question the right to a public education,…

In my last post, I mentioned certain “positive rights” that Americans have come to assume are part of the social contract. Public education is perhaps the least controversial example of…

Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren, in an oft-seen video clip, describes how a thriving industrialized economy is dependent on government taxation and redistribution for the creation of key institutions, infrastructure,…

As some of you may know, I was raised on Chicago’s South Side and attended a multiracial Mormon ward (congregation) for 15 years where many of my leaders and teachers…

Since the Supreme Court case of Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, there have been an estimated 50 million abortions.  This number is greater than the current population of…

In January 2009, Mitt Romney penned some advice to incoming President Barack Obama regarding health care reform in a USA Today op-ed piece. Romney suggested Obama look to “the lessons…