Eric Davis: Colleges should go online this fall

Should colleges and universities resume in-person, on-campus instruction this fall? Leaders of most higher education institutions say they plan to do so, while adding that their decisions will be largely driven by public health considerations.  A few institutions are taking a different approach. The California State University system, with more than 400,000 students on 23 campuses, has announced that almost all instruction will be offered remotely in the fall. Four other universities — Harvard, Princeton, S … (read more)

With Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman running for governor, and several members of the Vermont Senate running to replace Zuckerman, there will be multiple open seats available this year for a new generation of Vermonters who want to serve the public in elected of … (read more)

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is starting to vet potential vice presidential candidates. Biden has said that his running mate will be a woman, and that she will be selected well in advance of the Democratic convention, now schedule … (read more)

The COVID-19 pandemic will affect every political institution in the United States. While the magnitude and duration of these effects is still to be determined, normal political practices will not resume for at least several months, if not longer. Legisla … (read more)

Ten years ago this week, President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law. As the United States faces its greatest public health crisis in a century, the Trump Administration is actively supporting an effort by T … (read more)

Several developments this past week emphasize the importance of this year’s elections for the U.S. Senate, where Republicans now hold a 53 to 47 majority. To control the chamber, Democrats would need a net gain of three seats if a Democrat were elected vi … (read more)

Next week’s Super Tuesday primaries will help answer several questions about the campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. First, can Bernie Sanders win enough delegates to have a realistic chance of being nominated on the first ballot at the c … (read more)

Vermont voters will cast presidential primary ballots on Tuesday, March 3, along with voting for local offices and school budgets on Town Meeting Day. Vermont will be one of 14 states holding primary elections on that “Super Tuesday.” Any voter in Vermont … (read more)

National attention will be focused on Iowa and New Hampshire over the next two weeks, as Democratic voters begin to select the candidate who will oppose President Trump in November. How does delegate selection in those states work? Iowans will vote in an … (read more)

Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman’s decision to run for governor can be viewed from multiple angles, each offering different insights. Zuckerman’s decision is not without risk to his future political career. He could have remained lieutenant governor, been re-elec … (read more)

After the Legislature adjourned last spring, Gov. Scott vetoed the so-called medical monitoring bill. This bill was passed in response to an environmental crisis in the North Bennington area. Private wells located near the ChemFab factory were found to be … (read more)

The British electoral system is very different from the American one. Campaigns in Britain are short, barely a month long. Much less money is spent on broadcast and digital media advertising than in America. Voters in Britain make only one mark on their b … (read more)

Vermont’s presidential primary will be held on Tuesday, March 3, 2020, which is also Town Meeting Day. Voters in 13 other states will also be voting that day in “Super Tuesday” primaries. The deadline for candidates to file petitions to get on the Vermont … (read more)

Between Feb. 3 and March 3, voters in 18 states will vote in Democratic presidential primaries and caucuses. By the time all the votes are counted on Super Tuesday, March 3, the allocation of 1,506 Democratic convention delegates to candidates will have b … (read more)

Next Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case involving the Trump Administration’s attempt to terminate the program of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. DACA is a program directed at immigrants who were brought to the U … (read more)