Data from eight University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polls conducted among registered voters between May of 2011 and June of 2014 allow us to estimate the mean ideological position of the voting public in 20 of the state’s 21 most populous counties — counties which combined contain almost three-fourths (73 percent) of the Texas population. Continue Reading
Race has been closely tied to Mexican identity since the Mexican Revolution in 1910. The national ideology is centered on mestizaje, referring to the mixing between Spaniards and indigenous peoples. According to this belief, true “Mexicanness” is linked to being… Continue Reading
The changes to the AP biology exam reflect a trend among the larger science community (scientists, teachers and policymakers) that calls for a shift from knowledge-based to inquiry-based learning. The goal is to make all students — and thus, the general public — more scientifically literate and to help them understand the need for science. It also aims to encourage careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) — fields that are considered important to future U.S. economic potential and technological innovation. Continue Reading
The 2013 election of Bergoglio as the head of the Roman Catholic Church impacted his influence in Argentina’s local politics. He became, to Argentine leaders, “one of us.” Once widely disparaged, his critics are now a small minority, and there are many who have changed their attacks on Bergoglio into admiration for Pope Francis. This transformation from critic to supporter has become a ruler by which the public now measures Argentine politicians. Having the pope’s “recognition” is now a political asset. Continue Reading
Governments of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) have called for a discussion on the decriminalization of marijuana after a pilot study found that legalized medical marijuana sales could boost the region’s ailing economies. As a result, the topic was an important agenda item at a CARICOM Inter-Sessional Heads of State Summit held in March 2014. Two aspects of decriminalization were discussed: decriminalization for medical use and decriminalization for recreational use. Continue Reading
Well, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have apparently kissed and made up, at least for public consumption. This followed a kerfuffle in the wake of an interview with Jeff Goldberg of The Atlantic in which Clinton specifically criticized the administration’s… Continue Reading
In Peru, instances of social conflict are a fact of life. The Peruvian ombudsman agency defines social conflict as “a complex process in which civil society, the state and the private sector perceive that their objectives, interests, values and beliefs are incompatible or contradictory; and this contradiction can lead to violence.” It is imperative, therefore, for the country to find ways to resolve these disagreements quickly in order to avoid violence. Continue Reading