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The Facts on U.S.–Canada Tariffs Nearly One Year Into Trump’s Plan

When Separation of Powers Becomes a Suggestion

When Separation of Powers Becomes a Suggestion

An illustration of two hands controlling a small person attached to strings.

Parallels and Patterns: George Orwell’s 1984, Hitler’s Nazi, and Trump 2.0

How Republicans May Steal the 2026 and 2028 Elections

How Republicans May Steal the 2026 and 2028 Elections

Post office trucks parked in a lot.

2026 Will See an Increase in Rejected Mail-In Ballots - Here's Why

Podcast: Anti-Corruption Awards to Honor Entrepreneurs Investing in Better Elections

Podcast: Anti-Corruption Awards to Honor Entrepreneurs Investing in Better Elections
The Fulcrum
By The FulcrumOct 22, 2021
The Fulcrum
The Fulcrum staff.
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On this episode of Toppling The Duopoly, host Shawn Griffiths is joined by Cathy Stewart and Amikka Smith, who are co-hosting IndependentVoting.org's 20th Annual Anti-Corruption Awards this Monday, October 25 at 6 PM EDT. This year, Independent Voting is taking the event national by hosting a virtual event available to anyone who wants to register to attend. The awards honor individuals that span the political spectrum who are working to advance the independent voter movement.

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Latest news

Pritzker uses State of the State to defend immigrants, says Chicago targeted by federal actions
Governance & Legislation

Pritzker uses State of the State to defend immigrants, says Chicago targeted by federal actions

Warrantless home searches sparked the American Revolution – now ICE wants to bring them back
Governance & Legislation

Warrantless home searches sparked the American Revolution – now ICE wants to bring them back

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When the Rule of Law Meets Political Pressure
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Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash

When the Rule of Law Meets Political Pressure

For most Americans, the phrase “rule of law” sounds like a civic virtue—important, but abstract. Yet in a functioning democracy, the rule of law is not a slogan. It is an operating system. It determines whether power is constrained by rules that apply to everyone, or whether rules become tools used selectively by those who hold power.

The rule of law is tested not in calm seasons but in storms—when leaders face incentives to bend institutions toward short-term advantage. In those moments, the central question is rarely “Is the Constitution still there?” It is: Are our institutions still willing and able to enforce it consistently, even when enforcement is unpopular?

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Ukrainian POW, You Are Not Forgotten

Recruits at roll call at the infantrymen's deployment site. Recruits, including former prisoners who have voluntarily joined the 1st Separate Assault Battalion named after Dmytro Kotsiubailo "Da Vinci," take part in weapons handling and combat readiness training in an undisclosed location in Ukraine on November 11, 2025.

(Photo by Diana Deliurman/Frontliner/Getty Images)

Ukrainian POW, You Are Not Forgotten

“I have very good news,” beamed former Ukrainian POW and human rights activist Maksym Butkevych, looking up from his phone. “150 Ukrainian prisoners of war have just been released. One is from my platoon.”

This is how I learned about last week’s prisoner exchange during a train ride from Champaign to Chicago. In addition to the 150 Ukrainian defenders, seven citizens were released on February 5 in an exchange with Russia.

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A child's hand holding an adult's hand.
"Names have meanings and shape our destinies. Research shows that they open doors and get your resume to the right eyes and you to the corner office—or not," writes Professor F. Tazeena Husain.
Getty Images, LaylaBird

Who Are the Trespassers?

Explaining cruelty to a child is difficult, especially when it comes from policy, not chance. My youngest son, just old enough to notice, asks why a boy with a backpack is crying on TV. He wonders why the police grip his father’s hand so tightly, and why the woman behind them is crying so hard she can barely walk.

Unfortunately, I tell him that sometimes people are taken away, even if they have done nothing wrong. Sometimes, rules are enforced in ways that hurt families. He seemingly nods, but I can see he’s unsure. In a child’s world, grown-ups are supposed to keep you safe, and rules are meant to protect you if you follow them. I wish I had always believed that, too.

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Trump's Assault on Our Election System and How to Fix It

People voting

Trump's Assault on Our Election System and How to Fix It

  1. I'm not talking about Trump's refusal to concede the 2020 election results. That's a Trump issue; it has nothing to do with the problems of our election system. But Trump's recent call for Republicans to take over the election process, to "nationalize" elections, goes to the heart of this issue's urgency, as does his earlier demand that red states redraw their districts to increase the number of safe Republican seats in Congress.

While elections are inherently partisan, their administration must be nonpartisan. Why? They must be nonpartisan in order to ensure that election results 1) reflect the true, accurate votes of all eligible voters, and 2) ensure that the "one man, one vote" principle is honored.

Current Problems

Redistricting: After each decennial census, each state is required to redraw its congressional districts in order to ensure that each district contains roughly the same number of people, thus ensuring the "one man, one vote" equal representation required by the Equal Protection clause of the Constitution.

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