State of The Nation

The Electoral Crisis of 1876 and American Democracy Today: Parallels, Differences, and Lessons for Contemporary Political Polarization Abstract The disputed presidential election of 1876 between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel J. Tilden represents one of the most dangerous constitutional crises in American history, bringing the nation to the brink of civil conflict. This article examines the electoral dispute through the lens of contemporary democratic challenges, analyzing parallels and differences between the 1876 crisis and modern concerns about election integrity, political polarization, and civil disturbance in the 2020s. Using primary sources from the Electoral Commission proceedings and contemporary scholarly analysis of recent elections, this study reveals both striking similarities in partisan polarization and fundamental differences in institutional responses. While both eras feature intense partisan division and allegations of electoral fraud, the 1876 crisis ...

Historic Energy Transition Accelerates as US Plans 12.3 GW Power Plant Shutdowns in 2025 The United States electricity sector is experiencing its most significant transformation in decades, with utilities planning to retire 12.3 gigawatts of generating capacity in 2025—a 65% increase from the previous year—while deploying record renewable capacity and revolutionary battery storage systems. The Coal Exit Accelerates Electric generators report plans to retire 8.1 GW of coal-fired capacity in 2025, representing 4.7% of the total U.S. coal fleet. This dramatic acceleration from 4.0 GW last year includes some of the nation's largest facilities: the 1,800-megawatt Intermountain Power Project in Utah, J H Campbell (1,331 MW) in Michigan, and Brandon Shores (1,273 MW) in Maryland. The retirements mark a historic shift—wind and solar combined produced a record 17% of US electricity in 2024, overtaking coal at 15% for the first time. The U.S. is now on track to close half of...

Alberta's Conditional Independence Path and Quebec's Stable Sovereignty Support Highlight Federal-Provincial Tensions Mark Carney's Liberal government faces legitimate autonomy movements, but claims of imminent breakup are vastly overstated Executive Summary Recent claims suggesting that Canada is "literally splitting apart" with provinces "drafting their divorce papers" dramatically misrepresent the current political situation. While legitimate provincial autonomy movements exist, particularly in Alberta, the actual threat to Canadian unity is far more nuanced and less immediate than sensationalized portrayals suggest. Alberta's Measured Approach to Independence The Real Policy Changes Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has indeed made it easier for citizens to initiate provincial referendums, lowering the signature threshold from approximately 600,000 to 177,000 signatures (about 10% of eligible voters from the previous election). This ...