The Polity Project
The United States slipped towards dangerous anocracy, but has improved. (more…)
06
Dec
08
May
Wichita ethics code to be considered
The Wichita city council will consider an ethics code that overlooks a simple and effective solution to a problem. This week the Wichita City Council will consider the final version of a proposed ethics code. It does not cover campaign finance. It does cover gifts to council members, which has been an issue in the past. Part of the problem with the proposal is the creation of a new board, the Ethics Advisory Board. Its members will be asked to judge things like whether a gift is "... intended or has the appearance or effect ..." The board will be…
22
Jan
Visualization: Kansas 2020 presidential election
An interactive visualization of the 2020 general election for president in Kansas, at the precinct level. (more…)
03
Oct
Presidential approval
Explore and compare the approval ratings of presidents in this interactive visualization. I've gathered presidential approval poll data and present it in an interactive visualization. I present data in a table and a timeline. Then, I present several views based on the poll date as the number of days from the start of each presidential term. To learn more about the data and access the interactive visualization, click here.
14
Sep
Partisan Conflict Index
Have you suspected that the country has become more partisan? An index supports that. The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia produces a monthly index that measures one aspect of political partisanship. The authors explain: The Partisan Conflict Index tracks the degree of political disagreement among U.S. politicians at the federal level by measuring the frequency of newspaper articles reporting disagreement in a given month. Higher index values indicate greater conflict among political parties, Congress, and the President. The index is an outgrowth of recent Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia research that finds that the index tends to increase near elections…
29
Aug
Libertarian campaign visits Wichita
In Wichita Story, Tim O'Bryhim reports on the visit of the Libertarian Party vice presidential candidate to Wichita: "It is another hot August day in Kansas; a good day to be inside. But a crowd gathers in the (sadly only proverbial) shadow of the Keeper of the Plains to welcome Spike Cohen, the vice-presidential candidate of the third largest political party in the United States of America. If elections were the Olympics, the Libertarian Party would proudly climb on the medals stand every four years with a bronze medal around its neck. But in American politics, third place is almost…
30
Jul
Herman Cain, RIP
Today we learned that Herman Cain has died at the age of 74. He had been hospitalized with COVID-19, according to a statement on his website. He was an interesting man. In 2010, as he was rising in national prominence, I interviewed him in his hotel suite in Las Vegas. He ran for president in 2012. For my interview, click on Herman Cain: Conservatives should dream, be united, informed, inspired.
29
Jan
All Kansas Republicans should have a voice
A presidential nominating caucus or primary would allow Trump skeptics in Kansas to have their say. It could provide a safety valve, a way to release the pressure that builds up from being told they are traitors to not only their party but to the country as well. In September, leaders of the Kansas Republican Party decided to deny giving rank-and-file party members a voice in choosing its presidential nominee for 2020. In a release, the state party said : "The Kansas Republican Party will not organize a Caucus for the 2020 election because President Trump is an elected incumbent…
17
Oct
New Symposium Society: Language Matters
From the New Symposium Society: Language Matters. Recorded October 15, 2019. Panelists were, in order of their first appearance: Russell Fox -- moderator John Brungardt -- philosopher Bill Coleman -- linguist Dion Lefler -- journalist Bob Weeks -- publisher For more information on this event, see Language Matters.
05
Oct
From Pachyderm: Wichita school board candidates
From the Wichita Pachyderm Club this week: Candidates for the board of USD 259, the Wichita public school district. This was recorded October 4, 2019. In board district 3, incumbent Ernestine Krehbiel is running unopposed, so this event did not include that district. In board district 4, the candidates are James W. Kilpatrick, Jr. and Stan Reeser (incumbent). For the at-large board district, which covers the entire school district, the candidates are Sheril Logan (incumbent) and Joseph Shepard. Of note, the boundaries of the Wichita school district are not the same as the City of Wichita boundaries. Substantial parts of…