The State of Democracy at MIT
As I sit here writing in the student center, I gaze upon Kresge Auditorium — the voting place of Ward 2, Precinct 2 in the City of Cambridge. Today, many citizens will come to this place to cast their ballots in national, state, and local races — to elect whom they will entrust with the sacred duty to represent the constituency in the halls of government. It’s ironic though, that we will exercise our greatest civic duty and most sacred right as Americans on the very grounds of an institution that runs itself in such an autocratic fashion.
Party-Based Elections
The roots of the current American electoral system date back to the days of the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Undoubtedly, many things have changed over the last 221 years and I would like to pose the question: Are major reforms of the national election system sensible and overdue? The way that America conducts its elections is very different from that of many other countries in the Western world. Comparing the American system to other strong democracies, such as Germany, unveils a number of fundamental — and very interesting — differences in the representation of candidates, the party system and general voting procedures themselves.
Why You Should Keep Caring
In a few hours, the election campaign that has captivated the American news media for the past two years will come to an end. This dynamic campaign has made the American political process a conversation topic in living rooms around the country, as well as in many a dorm room at the Institute. The campus has shown more political awareness in the past six months than I’ve seen in my previous two years at MIT. Whether or not you’re happy with the election results tonight, here’s why our campus should continue to be engaged by public policy.
Obama Is the Change We Need
It’s hard to get MIT students involved in politics. We’re politically aware, but not very politically active. We sit in our rooms reloading <i>fivethirtyeight.com</i>, and we crack political jokes when the opportunity arises, but we consider ourselves too busy to get out our phone and make calls or get in a car and canvass in New Hampshire. We’ve got problem sets, demos, papers, grants, and dissertations to worry about. To many, this election is a form of entertainment to be enjoyed at a distance.
McCain Supports America’s Economic Future
Much has been made about the state of the economy by Senators John McCain and Barack Obama in recent months, and for good reason. Whoever takes the oath of office this January will have the most impact on the American market of any president in recent memory.
Can One Man Really Fix Such a Broken System?
In deciding my vote this year, I decided to use my experiences during last eight years as my compass. Some defining moments for me:
Massachusetts Ballot Initiatives
This question would cut the income tax rate in Massachusetts in half, from 5.3 percent to 2.65 percent for 2009 and completely eliminate it in 2010. This represents $12 billion of the $27 billion state budget.
Obama for President
At a time when the financial markets are in crisis, America is engaged in two wars, and the problems of energy security and global climate change threaten our planet, this country needs a leader who has demonstrated the maturity and intellectual inquisitiveness to thoughtfully confront the major challenges of our time.
Letters to the Editor
I loved Katz’s mastery of the straw man technique in his piece on Governor Sarah Palin (“Palin’s Anti-Science Rhetoric,” Oct. 28). Palin hates fruit flies, therefore Palin hates science. However, is it possible that Palin hates earmarks, therefore she hates fruit flies? This is highly likely as McCain has been campaigning on a promise to ban those pesky things.
I’m Endorsing Rationality for President
I’m a positivist. I believe in the power of empirical evidence. I believe that political issues, such as healthcare and education, deserve to be analyzed through the lens of scientific inquiry.
Diagnosing Problems with ‘The Human Factor’
MIT recently launched a fundraising campaign titled “The Human Factor.” Their website, <i>http://thehumanfactor.mit.edu</i>, uses video and text to encourage donations to MIT, outlining several fundamental beliefs about students at MIT. While I am not against getting more money for MIT and its students, as a current student of MIT there are several reasons why I find The Human Factor to be misleading and over-simplified.
Why I Support Barack Obama
The fundamental question we should ask when selecting our next president is — twenty years from now, when I’m raising a family and I look back at this choice, which candidate will have made me and the rest of America better off?
Fizzling Out
John McCain was in trouble before Colin Powell’s endorsement of Barack Obama. Now, he’s in a desperate uphill battle just to stay competitive in the race. The former Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s endorsement couldn’t have come for a worse time for McCain.
Palin’s Anti-Science Rhetoric
In her first policy speech in Pittsburgh last Friday, Sarah Palin spoke about the need for government programs to aid children with disabilities and disorders, highlighting the importance of scientific research into disorders such as autism:
The Future of Development Policy
There are a lot of big issues at stake this election. Global warming, the war in Iraq, health insurance, and the economy all have earned a prime share of the public consciousness.
Letters to the Editor
The Oct. 14 article “Gender Ratios Vary Widely Across MIT Courses” nicely summarized the statistics on gender diversity within the undergraduate population.
You Can Be the Difference
Last Friday night, I went to an event called “Stand Up” hosted by the Youth Alliance for Leadership and Development in Africa (YALDA) at Harvard University. At the event, over fifty students from around the Boston area listened to the words of student leaders, stood up, and pledged to take action against poverty.
Addressing Poverty
Poverty. It’s not a nice thing to dwell on. We hear the word and we conjure up images of malnourished children in Africa, staring at us with their big haunting eyes and distended bellies. For some of us, we recall annoying homeless people who manage to make us feel guilty every time we pass them without putting a quarter into their coffee cups.