As America celebrates 250 years, the Supreme Court moved to affirm over 100 years of court rulings in which citizenship is guaranteed for those born on U.S. soil, with few exceptions. But is no-questions-asked "birthright citizenship" really what the framers of the 14th Amendment intended? A closer look at the exclusions they carved out tells a different story — one overcome by baked-in administrative assumptions that shaped 19th Century thought, while creating 21st Century conflicts.
The 2016 presidential election year in many ways reflects the way in which reality TV — never at a loss for drama, exhibitionism and outrage — has begun to influence political theater. Political races have always been, to an extent, a dog-and-pony show. But GOP candidate Donald J. Trump's out-sized assertions and foot-in-mouth moments don't …
Continue reading Election Year 2016: The Rise of the Angry Populist — and Why it Matters
Amidst this week's revelation that a federal judge would likely rule in favor of a judicial activist who argues that the NSA's activities violate the Fourth Amendment — and the revelation that some in the NSA would rather grant fugitive Edward Snowden amnesty than drive him further into the open arms of the Russians and …
Continue reading Snowden Amnesty Debate Misses the Point — Again