Germaine Descant - IVN Staging

Democracy: It Isn’t What You Think

The folk theory of democracy The common perception holds that the people elect their leaders at the polls and then hold them accountable for representing their will. The folk theory

By Germaine Descant

April 21, 2016

In 2016 Race, Phantom Policy Proposals Disguise Trillions Added to National Debt

Analyses of policy proposals from Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, and Bernie Sanders estimate that their proposals would increase the national debt by about $8 to $30 trillion between

By Germaine Descant

February 26, 2016

In 2016 Race, Phantom Policy Proposals Disguise Trillions Added to National Debt

OPINION: The Irrationality of Iowa and N.H. Going First in Presidential Elections

NPR and other media outlets have aired interviews with Iowans on why Iowa always gets to go first. Who goes second gets far less coverage, but the same logic presumably

By Germaine Descant

February 1, 2016

OPINION: The Irrationality of Iowa and N.H. Going First in Presidential Elections

Superforecasting: Understanding The Art and Science of Prediction

One can ask what most accurately describes the essence of intelligent, objective, public service-oriented politics. Is it primarily an honest competition among the dominant ideologies of our times, a self-interested

By Germaine Descant

January 6, 2016

Superforecasting: Understanding The Art and Science of Prediction

Risk Assessment: Don't Let Terrorism Ruin Your New Year's Plans

In the wake of the 14 terrorism-inspired murders in San Bernardino on December 2, 2015, and other recent terror attacks, some Americans altered their travel plans. They were worried about

By Germaine Descant

December 29, 2015

OPINION: The Key to Having a Persuasive Argument with the Other Side

For the most part, people view the world and politics and make judgments through biases that color what they see and understood. Personal morals or political ideology is a powerful

By Germaine Descant

December 22, 2015

How to Save The Public Interest from Two-Party Politics

Dissident Politics advocates a set of three political principles or morals that foster objectivity in politics. The proposal comes despite the innate intuitive-subjective nature of human cognition and American politics.

By Germaine Descant

December 4, 2015

Understanding the Biology and Politics of Climate Change Denial

The Climate Science About 97-98% of climate science experts no longer debate whether anthropogenic global warming (AGW) is real and caused primarily by human activity. Current debates center on how

By Germaine Descant

December 1, 2015

OPINION: Paris, Politics, and the Human Mind

I have striven not to laugh at human actions, not to weep at them, not to hate them, but to understand themTractatus Politicus It is OK to hate some human

By Germaine Descant

November 17, 2015

When Rights Collide: Same-Sex Marriage vs. Economic Freedom

The Supreme Court’s June 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision held that the fundamental right to marry extends to same-sex couples, a small minority of Americans. Among other things, the

By Germaine Descant

November 12, 2015

OPINION: Two-Party Politics Has Completely Destroyed Journalistic Integrity

Press and media reports of political affairs from different sources often differ so much that the average American cannot tell what really happened or whether the incident is truly important.

By Germaine Descant

November 10, 2015

Repairing The GOP Brand May Be Harder than Speaker Ryan Realizes

Since his election to the House Speaker position on October 29, 2015, with necessary support from Tea Party supporters (the Freedom Caucus), Paul Ryan stated that he is hopeful about

By Germaine Descant

November 3, 2015