by Andrea Neal It is one of Indiana’s best-kept secrets: Limestone quarried from three Indiana counties is responsible for some of America’s most impressive structures. It was used to build the Empire State Building, the Pentagon and the Indiana state capital. It bedecks the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C., the Tribune Tower in Chicago and the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. According to the Indiana Limestone Institute of America, “Indiana limestone projects exist in every…

For the use of the membership only (498 words) AT A CERTAIN AGE, it becomes difficult to tell whether people are kidding you. The other day I heard someone say that government troops were prepared to confront seemingly law-abiding American families — something about objecting to foreign nationals being forced into their communities. I mistook it for a joke. In my embarrassment I was forced to remember making the same mistake back in the 1970s.…

by Cecil Bohanon, Ph.D. Long before anyone had heard of the “religious right,” there was a “religious left” using its resources, influence and prestige to lobby the public sector to promote so-called progressive public policies. And it continues to influence; I saw it in full force on a visit to Rhode Island last month when an ecumenical group joined forces with a national denomination’s conference to rally for an increase in the minimum wage. As…

Has the World Cup got you down? The United States isn’t the big guy on the block there. And if you are a football fan (mostly conservatives), you are being dragged into unflattering debates with irritatingly informed soccer fans (mostly liberals). And although of global import, it all seems depressingly petty considering the real problems facing Indiana and the nation. As a student of both sports (my one son played soccer and the other football),…

By Eric Schansberg, Ph.D. The Pence administration is calling for a review of the Indiana tax code. The top goals are to simplify the code and to promote economic development. But another worthy goal, one that would boost the Indiana economy, is missing. First, if the government is going to take our money, then it should do so as gently as possible. The U.S. income tax code is notoriously burdensome in terms of the billions…

By Stephen M. King, Ph.D. The much-awaited Supreme Court decision in Burwell vs. Hobby Lobby came down this week. The Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that the 1993 Religious Freedom and Restoration Act (RFRA) does cover “closely held” corporations, even if those corporations are for profit. At the center of the controversy was Hobby Lobby’s contention that the for-profit, closely held corporation, owned by the Green family, should not, based on exercise of religious…

Editors: This is the third and last in a series on political polarization. For immediate release (674 words). By Stephen M. King, Ph.D. Do the recent Supreme Court decisions in Citizens’ United and McCutcheon, both regarding campaign-finance reform, contribute to political polarization? Or do they enhance the opportunity for greater political speech and thus encourage greater civic engagement? Citizens United was, and still is, a highly controversial decision put forth by the Court in June…

by Andrea Neal A drive across Indiana on the National Road is a trip back in time. This was the route taken in the 19th century by pioneers hauling household goods west in Conestoga wagons, by stagecoaches carrying mail and by farmers moving crops to markets. Today it’s paved and known as Highway 40. Though it looks nothing like the primitive roadway it replaced, relics are everywhere. In Centerville, two original mile markers still stand.…

Editors: This is the second in a three-part series on political polarization.  By Stephen M. King, Ph.D. “Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself.”— John Adams When asked what the Founders created in Philadelphia, Benjamin Franklin replied: “A Republic, madam, if you can keep it.” MUCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN in the last few years regarding the contemptuousness and division of the American political system. Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein in “It’s…

Editors:  This is the first in a three-part series. By Stephen M. King, Ph.D. There is no doubt about it: Political polarization is the norm in D.C. and the states. A recent Pew Research Study, “Political Polarization in the American Public,” finds that political and ideological lines of division are not limited to the political elites but are embedded in the American public itself. More and more are identifying with the extreme Left or the…