IdeaLog
How to answer ten tough questions
Posted on October 13, 2016
If you are politically active, you know you’ll have some difficult debates over the next four weeks. Sometimes you will have to defend a controversial position. When that happens, remember three messaging rules: (1)...
How to Debate Effectively
Posted on September 28, 2016
We can’t all match Hillary’s performance. But we can be aware that a debate is somewhat different than a one-sided talk. Whether you’re an advocate debating an issue or a candidate running for state/local...
Ideas for progressive state legislation
Posted on September 15, 2016
Here are just a few examples from the latest edition of the Progressive Agenda for States & Localities, including hyperlinks to model bills: Demilitarize the police More than 8,000 state and local police forces...
20 Progressive Ordinances for Cities, Towns & Counties
Posted on September 1, 2016
For the moment, most state legislatures are controlled by conservatives and there’s not a lot that progressives can enact in those states. But most large cities, towns and counties are controlled by moderates or...
Coming soon to your state—voter harassment and intimidation
Posted on August 17, 2016
Last Friday (August 12), Donald Trump told a nearly all-white crowd in Altoona, Pennsylvania that he was concerned about voter fraud in their state. In dog-whistle language he said he’d “heard some stories about...
Notwithstanding Hillary, why aren’t more women in public office?
Posted on August 3, 2016
by Alexandra Didenko, PLI Policy Intern Nowadays we get used to hearing that women can do or be anything. In fact, that’s true only in theory. Certainly, the role of women has increased in...
Texas can’t get enough of harassing women over abortion
Posted on July 16, 2016
by Gloria Totten and Aimee Arrambide, Op-Ed in the Austin American-Statesman After last month’s milestone decision by the Supreme Court to strike down anti-abortion laws in Texas, there was a communal sigh of relief...
Our Courts Should Enforce the Constitution
Posted on July 3, 2016
by Aimee Z. Arrambide, JD Program Manager & Reproductive Rights Policy Specialist My father was an obstetrician-gynecologist in Texas. Shortly after Roe v. Wade, until he passed away ten years ago, my father performed...
Group identification, rather than policy, explains the 2016 election
Posted on June 22, 2016
Political activists have a notion that there is something beyond logic and self-interest that drives the choices of average voters. We know that low-income Whites often vote against their own economic interests. We know...
American Culture is Threatened by Hate Speech
Posted on June 5, 2016
America is not really a nation of laws. Our legislative system governs only the most egregious behavior. The way Americans treat each other day-to-day—attitude and etiquette, willingness or wariness, prejudice or tolerance—is driven mostly...