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Video: Democracy in the balance?

Democracy in the Balance? The Polarized Politics of Political-Economic Reform

At a moment of political division and policy uncertainty, many believe American democracy is in serious danger. Inequality, polarization, the stoking of anger, and the exploitation of weaknesses in our political system all threaten the representative government we once took for granted. We cannot go backward, so how do we move forward to assure that the years of struggle that led to our democracy were not in vain? The Network for Responsible Public Policy discusses in its forum: Democracy in the Balance.

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Debate on Antisemitism Awareness Act Weighs the Restraint of Freedom of Speech

Committee ranking member Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) delivers remarks during a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee vote on the nomination of Lori Chavez-DeRemer as the next Secretary of Labor February 27, 2025 in Washington, DC

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Debate on Antisemitism Awareness Act Weighs the Restraint of Freedom of Speech

WASHINGTON—Some Senate Democrats voiced concerns this week about damage to free speech due to a new law that would define antisemitism. However, several Democrats co-sponsored the bill with most Republicans.

“I worry that this bill is unconstitutional and will move us far along the authoritarian direction that the Trump administration is taking us,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) at Wednesday’s hearing in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.

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A Missed Opportunity

Broken speech bubbles.

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A Missed Opportunity

en español

In a disappointing turn of events, Connecticut has chosen to follow the precedent set by President Donald Trump’s English-Only Executive Order, effectively disregarding the federal mandates of Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

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The DOGE and Executive Power

White House Senior Advisor, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk attends a Cabinet meeting at the White House on April 30, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

The DOGE and Executive Power

The DOGE is not the first effort to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse in government. It is the first to receive such vociferous disdain along what appears to be purely political lines. Most presidents have made efforts in these areas, some more substantial than others, with limited success. Here are some modern examples.

In 1982, President Reagan used an executive order to establish a private sector task force to identify inefficiencies in government spending (commonly called the Grace Commission). The final report included 2,478 recommendations to reduce wasteful government practices, estimated savings of $429 billion over the first three years and $6.8 trillion between 1985 and 2000. Most of the savings required legislative changes, and Congress ignored most of those proposals.

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World Vaccine Congress Washington Tackles Anti-Vaccine Rhetoric in U.S. Politics

The World Vaccine Congress Washington is held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, April 23, 2025

(Erin Drumm/Medill New Service)

World Vaccine Congress Washington Tackles Anti-Vaccine Rhetoric in U.S. Politics

WASHINGTON—A vaccine policy expert challenged attendees of the World Vaccine Congress Washington to imagine a deadly disease spreading in various places around the country. We have the tools to stop it, but lawmakers were instead debating whether or not to use them.

In fact, that describes what is currently happening across the United States, according to Rehka Lakshmanan, M.H.A.

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