Less than a week from the November 6th election and I am here to write on Massachusetts politics. Folks, all I got is a longing for the Buckeye state where I grew up. Sure, I far prefer living in Massachusetts when it comes to public policy. State commitment to universal healthcare, prioritization of funding for…
Author: Erin O'Brien
Issue 1: Showcasing Our Unhealthy Democracy
Issue 1 has me in knots. Not because it is confusing as hell (and it is). No, for me, Issue 1 is a woeful reminder of how our legislative institutions fail regular citizens and how even the promise of direct democracy does not save us. On the “yes” side of Issue 1, as my colleague…
Primary Election Day 2018: Sorry, the Commonwealth Is Hungover
Summer is in the home-stretch. Winter in these parts is cruel and none of us get enough sunlight. Every New Englander who has the luxury is thus basking in the last ten days of summer before its unofficial end the Tuesday after Labor Day. Sharks be damned! Beach, cookouts, festivals, porches, lakes, and libations –…
Ayanna Pressley: Harbinger of Change to MA Democratic Party?
Both chambers of the Massachusetts legislature have been controlled by Democrats since 1959. In Political Science, we find single party control makes it less likely that the party in charge expands its base and stable of candidates. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Here in the Commonwealth, this has meant an increasingly diverse state…
Massachusetts Senate Race Diehls-In Trump Immigration Policy: Will It Work?
Were it a normal political summer in the Bay State, we would currently be treated to awkward photos of politicos eating ice cream at their favorite in-district shoppe. These are not normal times. Rather, much of the MA political eye has been on Washington and the Trump Administration’s policy of stripping undocumented children from their…