Election Hacking: Ushering in a New Era of an Age-Old Problem

Introduction In an age of perpetual information influx, nobody should be surprised that the technology that captures your attention may be programmed to deceive you. Yet, on the eve of the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign, people were shaken when reports of Russian election interference began to surface. After the highly politicized news settled, it became … Read more

Critical Analysis: Turmoil in Turkish Politics Could Tip Syrian War

The Turkish government under Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan remains in its worst political crisis since coming to power in 2003. On April 3, access to Twitter in the country was restored after the Constitutional Court ruled that a ban imposed by Erdogan on March 21 was illegal. The prime minister had announced he would … Read more

Critical Analysis: Mother Merkel’s Victory in Germany

Angela Merkel won a large margin victory September 22, 2013, to retain her position as Germany’s Chancellor. Merkel’s political party, the Christian Democrats, received 41.5% of the votes. The opposition, the Social Democrats, garnered 25.7% of the votes, creating the largest voter margin since Germany’s reunification in 1990. Although winning by an unusually high margin, … Read more

Venezuelan Elections: What’s Next?

  President Hugo Chavez’s work to nationalize Venezuela’s petroleum market and anti-American sentiments lead to strained relations between the United States and Venezuela from Chavez’s election in 1999 until his death this past March.  Not surprisingly, the United States government and private petroleum industries watched carefully as Venezuelans hit the polls to vote for Chavez’s … Read more

Critical Analysis: South America’s Most Controversial President has More Surgery as the Future of Venezuelan Politics Blurs

As of December 18th, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez remains in stable condition as he continues to undergo cancer treatment in Cuba. The Venezuelan government reported that Chavez, 58, had recently suffered a respiratory infection but is now resting. Chavez remains in Cuba and is recovering from another surgery to fight cancer that is believed to … Read more

Critical Analysis: Libya Elects New Prime Minister

Libya’s 200 member national congress has elected Ali Zidan as its new prime minister.  Zidan, a former Congressman and human rights lawyer, won 93 votes, securing a majority for him from those present and voting.  Zidan, an independent, beat a candidate favored by the Justice and Construction party,a party linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. The … Read more