The public has a new opportunity to test their hypotheses about how to strengthen U.S. democracy — all while potentially winning thousands of dollars. Stanford University and collaborators are inviting submissions to the crowdsourced Strengthening Democracy Challenge.

Social Security is sometimes described as the “third rail of American politics.”

It got this name in the 1980s because it was so popular among both Republicans and Democrats that if any politician dared to “touch” Social Security and cut it substantially, the politician’s career would metaphorically “die.” 

Divisions in Washington, D.C. can seem bitter, so it can be helpful to remember more positive bipartisan experiences that began only a few years ago and continued afterward.

Imagine that the economy has imploded and you have just been let go from your job. After months of tirelessly searching for a new job, your savings have been depleted and you are forced to foreclose on your home. As you sit, stressfully contemplating your plans for the future, what are your priorities going to be?