With a background in political science, and public policy and administration, politics and government are never off my radar. In a country like the United States, it is impossible to escape from the constant barrage of media coverage on political issues, especially during election years. The posts in this section seek to make sense of this onslaught of information and to provide perspective on political moves and on governmental policies and processes.
Other issues I seek to address in this section include that of public service and the role of government. With Hurricane Katrina and the earthquakes in Japan and Haiti not too far in the past, our nation’s capacity for disaster relief is one that must be evaluated and improved. In addition, the current attack on public service needs to end, as public service is imperative to a healthy and productive nation.
President Obama has often been the subject of my writings, I focused a great deal of attention on the 2012 presidential election. My posts on presidential politics increased during 2012 as I evaluated the political climate and provided analysis of important events during the campaign. These focused pieces reflected news events during the campaign, but generally this section covers very diverse news, from national issues like the economic recession, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid to local events such as the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City. To provide ease of reading and comprehension, the section has two subsections: (1) National Politics and Government and (2) State/Local Politics and Government.
President Obama Should Abandon the All of the Above Energy Strategy (March 11, 2013)
It's Time to End the Ideological War on Our Government (February 18, 2013)
The Importance of Immigration (January 28, 2013)
The Right to Regulate Arms (December 17, 2012)
The Dance for Disaster Dough (December 10, 2012)
We Need a Federal Disaster Superfund (December 3, 2012)
Under-Taxed Americans Face the Fiscal Cliff (November 26, 2012)
The Political Moment for a Renewable Economy (November 12, 2012)
The Truth, the Political Center and Presidential Politics (October 15, 2012)
The Presidential Politics of Climate and Energy (September 17, 2012)
President Obama's Second Chance (September 4, 2012)
Has Obama Become Our Only Hope? (July 30, 2012)
Bain-Boating Romney: Obama Seeks to Define Mitt and Win the Independents (July 16, 2011)
Obama's Small but Powerful Push for Immigration Reform (June 18, 2012)
The State of the Union: The View From America's Front Porch (June 4, 2012)
Rick Santorum and the Cultural Divide (March 19, 2012)
Rick Santorum's Populist Pandering: Education as Elitism (February 27, 2012)
Why Mitt Romney Should "Be Concerned About the Very Poor" (February 6, 2012)
The Presidential Primaries as Reality TV (January 4, 2012)
The Culture of Fiscal Irresponsibility (November 21, 2011)
Hopeless Obama (September 6, 2011)
Hurricane Irene and the Routine of Emergency Response (August 29, 2011)
The Default of Leadership (August 1, 2011)
Our Bankrupt Political Dialogue and the Human Costs of Budget Cuts (July 25, 2011)
Congress Can't Even Change a Light Bulb (July 18, 2011)
Economic Revival Requires a Revival of Our National Community (July 11, 2011)
We Need to Respond to the Attack on Public Service (June 13, 2011)
America Needs To Remember How To Invest in the Future (May 23, 2011)
Public Service and Public Ethics (May 2, 2011)
Cutting Spending Is Not the Only Way to Cut the Deficit (April 11, 2011)
Time for the President to Demonstrate the Courage of His Convictions (April 7, 2011)
The Danger of Cutting Federal Science Funding (February 7, 2011)
Civility Is More Than Symbolism (January 24, 2011)
The Inescapable Sadness of Political Violence in America (January 10, 2011)
Predicting National Politics (December 20, 2010)
As the Presidency Turns: Obama's Political Soap Opera (November 22, 2010)
President Obama Should Focus His Message and Administration on Rapid Green Job Growth (September 7, 2010)
We Need a Real Discussion of the Impact of Tighter Offshore Drilling Regulation (August 17, 2010)
A Mistrusted, Incompetent Federal Government Cannot Build a Green Economy (June 24, 2010)
The Gulf as President Barack Obama's Bay of Pigs Moment (June 17, 2010)
I Wouldn't Underestimate President Barack Obama (March 8, 2010)
We Have Reason to Be Proud of the American Response in Haiti (January 17, 2010)
Haiti Is a Critical Test for the Obama Administration (January 13, 2010)
A Successful Year For Our First Sustainability President (January 8, 2010)
Post-Sandy Restoration Has Been Unacceptably Slow (May 6, 2013)
Ed Koch and the Heart of New York (February 4, 2013)
Sandy's Pain and Gain (November 5, 2012)
A Job Description for the Next Mayor of New York (September 10, 2012)
NYC's Revival Has Been Built on the Foundation of Public Safety (August 13, 2012)
The GSA Junket and the Dedication of the FDNY: Contrasting Images of Public Service (April 9, 2012)
The Political Impact of Occupy Wall Street (October 17, 2011)
The Battle Between Money and the Majority (October 3, 2011)
Compelled to Look Back at September 11th (September 12, 2011)
The Futility of American State Budget Politics (March 29, 2011)
Learning From Japan's Catastrophe (March 14, 2011)
Wisconsin Governor Walker's Threat to American Political Stability (March 7, 2011)
The Shameful Spectacle of Wisconsin's Governor Scott Walker (February 21, 2011)
Trivializing the Attack on the World Trade Center (August 23, 2010)
New York City Government Makes Tough Budget Choices While Albany and Washington Play Political Games (June 28, 2010)
Securing New York City (May 7, 2010)
The Continued Corruption of New York's Politics (April 27, 2010)
Why New York City Needs Immigration Reform (March 21, 2010)
The Corrupt Spectacle of New York's State Government (March 2, 2010)
A Real Public Advocate for New York City (December 25, 2009)
Examining Sustainability & Politics: A Collection of Huffington Post Blog Entries by Steven Cohen
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