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Ian Thomas Jansen-Lonnquist for The New York Times
November 7, 2016
Overturning Election Day Tradition
What's the most sensible way to make it easier and more likely for people to cast their ballots on the day America unites to go to the polls?
Recent Discussions
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November 4, 2016
Are Voting Booth Selfies Fun or Dangerous?
By now you’ve heard about Justin Timberlake’s photograph at his polling station. Was he wrong to snap the pic?
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Updated November 8, 2016 2:07 PM
Why Are Ballot Measures So Confusing?
Voters are often mixed up by the opaque language they face in the polling booth.
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November 2, 2016
Taking On Militants After Acquittals in an Armed Standoff
What effect will militia members' court victory have on future confrontations?
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October 31, 2016
The Moveable Curbside Feast
Should New York and other cities permit more food vendors?
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October 26, 2016
A Nuclear Arsenal Upgrade
What should the trillion-dollar modernization of the U.S. reserve of nuclear weapons look like?
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October 25, 2016
Is Trump Right About Putin?
Should the United States be less hawkish toward Russia?
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October 24, 2016
Silicon Valley Goes to Washington
Tech companies are spending more on lobbying and hiring high-profile government officials, and the revolving door goes both ways.
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October 21, 2016
Does ISIS Need Territory to Survive?
A military offensive on Mosul, the Islamic States's last major stronghold in Iraq, is underway. Will losing the city hurt the militants?
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October 19, 2016
The Plant That Heals, or Kills?
Should kratom, an herbal pain reliever grown mostly in Thailand, be legal in the United States?
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October 18, 2016
Can the U.S.-Philippine Alliance Survive Duterte?
The volatile new president has threatened to ally Manila closer to Beijing.
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October 17, 2016
How to Energize Demoralized Voters
What can be done to get more Americans to the polls?
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October 14, 2016
What’s Behind the Spreading Creepy Clown Hysteria?
Many of the recent menacing clown sightings are hoaxes, but they appear to be inspiring copy-cat pranks and occasional acts of violence.
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October 13, 2016
What Did Donald Trump Reveal About Progress for Women?
A recording of the Republican candidate bragging in 2005 about his ability to sexually assault women was met with swift backlash.
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October 11, 2016
What the Nobel Peace Prize Prizes
Should the award only be given for actual achievements, or is it important to recognize those who aspire to peace?
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October 6, 2016
Should Every Young Athlete Get a Trophy?
Have we become too obsessed with giving out awards to everyone who plays in youth sports?
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October 5, 2016
When Should the People’s Voice Be Trusted?
Should governments use referendums to decide crucial issues?
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October 4, 2016
Easing the Pain of Automation
What can be done to limit the harm and spread the benefits of technology that eliminates the need for workers?
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October 3, 2016
Can a Meme Be a Hate Symbol?
The Anti-Defamation League has added a once innocuous frog meme to its list of hate symbols.
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September 29, 2016
Poverty, Prosperity and the Minimum Wage
Given the good news about the rise in real income and the fall in poverty, have minimum wage increases proved the benefits?
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September 28, 2016
Should the U.S. Give Up Oversight of Internet Addresses?
A planned move to transfer control of domain names is vigorously opposed by Senator Ted Cruz and others.
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September 23, 2016
Should Chris Christie Be Impeached?
The prosecution and defense in the Bridgegate trial say he knew the George Washington Bridge lanes were closed in an act of …
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September 22, 2016
Can the F.B.I. Do More to Investigate Suspected Extremists?
The New York City bombing is the latest attack that has been tied to someone whose suspected extremism led to federal inquiries.
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September 21, 2016
Keeping Food on the Plate, and Out of Landfills
How can the enormous amount of wasted food in the United States be reduced?
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September 20, 2016
The Cost of Corporate-Funded Research
Does industry's role in science need to be reduced to curb its influence?
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September 19, 2016
Helping Rural America Catch Up
What can be done to invest in communities that are lagging in economic growth?
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September 15, 2016
What Do We Need to Know About Candidates’ Health?
Two of the oldest presidential candidates ever have not released their full medical records.
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September 14, 2016
Is School Reform Hopeless?
Why is failure so widespread and persistent in poor districts, and how can it be resolved?
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September 13, 2016
Do Trigger Warnings Work?
Is a "heads-up" about violent material in a college course what students who have experienced trauma or suffer from P.T.S.D. really need?
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September 12, 2016
Is Any Immigration Reform Possible in This Political Climate?
Congress has failed to pass any reforms, and President Obama's executive actions are stalled.
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September 8, 2016
Was the E.R.A.’s Defeat Really a Loss for Feminism?
Supreme Court rulings have recognized principles of equality that the amendment was to have enforced.
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