by Cecil Bohanon, Ph.D. The Wall Street Journal recently polled Republicans and Democratic voters on their ideological identifications. In 1990, the newspaper commissioned a more or less identical poll. The differences between then and now are revealing and explain much about the state of contemporary political discourse. In 1990, 21 percent of all Democrats identified as somewhat or very conservative. In 2015 the number had dropped to 10 percent. In 1990, 14 percent of all…

Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis, by Robert D. Putnam. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2015 (386 pages). by Maryann O. Keating, Ph.D. If you suspect that the quality of American life for least-advantaged youths has become pernicious, and you are among those lamenting the disappearance of a national civic culture, “Our Kids” offers confirmation but little solace. Robert D. Putnam, a professor of public policy at Harvard University, wrote the widely acclaimed best-seller…

by Andrea Neal In 1897, an assistant attorney general made a legal error that cost the Miami Nation of Indiana its federal recognition as a tribe. They’ve been fighting ever since to win it back. “Our people are as upset now as they were 100 years ago,” declares Chief Brian Buchanan. It’s a story that began not long after Indiana achieved statehood, when settlers came flooding into the state with their eyes on land already…

“What if I should fall right through the center of the earth and come out the other side, where people walk upside down?” — Alice in Wonderland IF LAST NIGHT’S MAYORAL DEBATE in Indianapolis is portend, we will need to learn to think creatively and upside down like Alice. That will be difficult for feet-on-the-ground Hoosiers, so let’s get started. The urban-studies theorist Richard Florida can serve as a guide. His best-selling book, “The Rise of…

by Andrea Neal Yes, you can fight City Hall. That’s the message from citizen activists across Indiana who effectively challenged two seemingly unstoppable government-backed projects that would hand over public resources for private gain. One is a controversial dam and reservoir proposed for the White River at Anderson, a $440-million venture billed as a boon to the economy and to the regional water supply. The other is a banquet and conference center to be built…

by Cecil Bohanon, Ph.D. The Indiana State Legislature is contemplating letting local counties and municipalities impose a local tax on restaurant meals. Current rules require a locality that wants to impose such a tax to petition the Legislature for permission to do so. I have never understood why a state legislature should be in charge of what local government units can tax. Well, to be honest, I do understand. Local governments, in Indiana as elsewhere,…

by Craig Ladwig The times are too serious to take potshots at politicians for being politicians. But the constant and empty promises to “fight” for us on issues ranging from ethanol pumps to unisex bathrooms to mortgage rates beg comment. And when it comes to an issue in which the allusion of fighting is apt — crime — they are frozen in a pose. Yes, they launch training programs and expand the rolls of the…

“A week after the Subaru incentives were announced in an Indiana Economic Development Council news release, the agency admits it has not sent the $7.9 million incentive package to the board for a vote, and that probably won’t happen for several more months.” — Bob Segal of WTHR By Tom Huston Back before Hoosier Republicans succumbed to shameless crony capitalism, they applied a “but for” test when considering whether to provide taxpayer incentives to private…

THE INDIANAPOLIS print media occasionally gives us a glimpse into the positions of the two mayoral candidates by relating “interviews” with, or statements by, the two men. Frankly, I’ve been disappointed by what I’ve read so far. The media is humbly asked to bring more subjects into the public conversation. Specifically, I would like to see the following questions asked — with straightforward answers demanded. 1. With a high priority indicated, you both promised a…

by Andrea Neal Although his name does not show up on lists of greatest presidents, Benjamin Harrison did more during his one term in office than some better-known presidents accomplished in two. Consider the following: He expanded the U.S. Navy to both coasts and strengthened its fleet, which had no working battleships when he took office. Fulfilling a campaign pledge, he signed into law the Sherman Antitrust Act, landmark legislation that outlawed monopolistic business practices.…