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The 2012 presidential and congressional elections will largely be a referendum on which party can better steer the economy back to health. But other topics matter too: immigration reform, foreign relations, trade issues, and climate change, to name but a few. The World’s Jason Margolis is spending the year looking at a range of international topics that are impacting our domestic elections.

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How Should We Judge our Economy?

The central question of the presidential election came down to this: Are you better off than you were four years ago? Well, it depends on who you ask and how you measure it. A small, but growing group thinkers say traditional economic measures don’t give an accurate picture of the true health of our economy. And their movement is gaining steam. More >>>>

Republican Party’s Snub of Latinos Puts Obama Back in White House

Latino voters backed President Obama’s re-election in big numbers, helping the president carry several key states.The result makes one thing abundantly clear: Republicans need to rethink their Latino outreach strategy. More >>>>

President Obama Helping Undocumented Stay in US, But Offering No Healthcare Assistance

Mitt Romney has a two-fold challenge with many Latino voters: try to convince them that he can fix America’s broken immigration system, and that President Obama has failed them. There are plenty of areas Romney can point to illustrate this, including lack of health care for undocumented immigrants. But Romney runs a risk calling attention to this. More >>>>

Blog Post: African Refugees in Swing State Like Healthcare Reform

Edith Doh-Taka from Cameroon is in a bind many refugees and asylum-seekers in the US face – living in a new country without health insurance. That is slated to change soon. Refugees, as legal immigrants, are eligible for the same protections and benefits as US citizens under the Affordable Care Act. More >>>>

High School Debaters: What Makes For an Effective Argument?

The presidential debates have been getting increasingly feisty. But does showing more emotion make for an effective debater? Some immigrant high school students on their school debate teams in Boston share their perspectives. More >>>>

Politicians Talking Green Energy, But Not Climate Change

The topic of renewable energy came up early and often during Tuesday’s presidential debate. But neither President Obama nor Mitt Romney spoke about the topic of climate change. American political candidates seem to be having a hard time making that connection this campaign season. Take the case of Republican Congressman Joe Heck, who is in a tight re-election contest in Southern Nevada.More >>>>

Criticizing Security in Libya Remains Romney Tactic

The killing of US ambassador Chris Stevens in Libya last month is almost certain to come up in Tuesday’s presidential debate. The Romney campaign has been repeatedly attacking the President Obama for failing to provide adequate security. But how fair are those accusations?More >>>>

Team Romney Struggling to Connect with Nevada’s Latinos

Latinos make up 27 percent of Nevada’s population. President Obama is leading big among Latino voters, but the Romney campaign is trying to make some inroads with Hispanics in this key swing state.More >>>>

Polish Americans for Romney?

Political strategists slice and dice the electorate into smaller and smaller groups targeting messages to specific populations. The Romney camp is now making a pitch toward Polish Americans. But are they getting the message right? More >>>>

Obama and Romney Offer Contrasting Approaches to Middle East

President Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney both delivered speeches about American foreign policy today. The two men offered contrasting visions of what America’s role should be in shaping events beyond its shores. More >>>>

Can Politicians Help Bring Jobs Back From China?

Mitt Romney has said if he’s elected president, he’ll create 12 million new jobs. President Obama says his administration will help build 1 million jobs in manufacturing. Reaching those goals, for either man, would involve bringing back jobs from China, or at very least, stemming the tide of job losses. More >>>>

The Perils of Campaigning in Spanish

Campaigning means trying to woo voters in a language other than English. And for native English speakers, that can be treacherous. More >>>>

Colorado’s Latinos Favor President Obama, But Will They Vote?

To carry the key swing state of Colorado, it’s critical for the president to court Latino immigrants. What he really needs to most convince them to do, however, is vote. More >>>>

What a Second Term Might Mean for Obama’s Asia Policy

If President Barack Obama wins re-election in November, what might his second term look like in terms of foreign policy? More >>>>

Why Some New Americans Could Have Trouble Voting

When Americans go to the polls come November, millions will be voting in languages other than English. It may be the law, but many counties and states don’t comply. And when the topic came up at a Republican presidential debate in January, Mitt Romney spoke out against bilingual ballots. More >>>>

Young, Undocumented Immigrants Coming Out of the Shadows

Undocumented immigrants between the ages of 15 and 31 are now eligible to apply for the right to live and work openly in the US without fear of deportation. That’s due to an executive order issued in June by President Barack Obama. More >>>>

What Does Paul Ryan Think about Foreign Policy?

We now know whom Mitt Romney has picked as his running mate: Paul Ryan. The Wisconsin representative has been getting sized up, and so far, most of the talk has focused on his budget plans. That make sense — that is his area of focus. But how does Ryan weigh in on foreign policy matters? More >>>>

Looking for Campaign Cash Overseas

Mitt Romney is scheduled to attend the opening ceremonies of the London Olympics Friday night. He’s also visiting London to raise some cash. More >>>>

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Romney Heads Overseas to Burnish Image

When the London Summer Olympics get under way on Friday, Mitt Romney plans to be there. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee expects to attend the opening ceremonies. Then he’s making some quick campaign stops in Israel and Poland. More >>>>

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Filipino Americans: Trying to Shed ‘The Invisible Minority’ Label

Filipinos comprise the second largest group of Asian immigrants in the United States, second only to Chinese. Despite their numbers, Filipino-Americans haven’t achieved much success in the halls of political power. A few members of Congress have had some Filipino lineage. But there’s never been a full-blooded Filipino Congressperson. Nor has there been a Filipino-American in the state legislature in California. That’s somewhat surprising, considering that nearly half of Filipino-Americans call California home. But now, two Filipino-born Californians are set to change that. More >>>>

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Why American Presidents Discount Latin America

Mitt Romney was speaking with elected Latino officials this week in Florida. One item the Republican presidential candidate hasn’t discussed much is his foreign policy platform toward Latin America. For that matter, neither has President Obama. American leaders, from the US president on down, often don’t often say much about our policies toward Latin America. More >>>>

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New York Lawmaker Seeks to Unseat Charles Rangel and Become America’s First Dominican Congressman

New York state legislator Adriano Espaillat is trying to become the first Dominican-born Congressman in US history. His challenge: defeat 20-time incumbent Charles Rangel.More >>>>

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Does Foreign Policy Experience Matter?

There’s at least one clear advantage President Obama has over Mitt Romney: experience being a head of state on the world stage. But does foreign policy experience matter for presidential candidate? More >>>>

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Why Texas May Become a Blue State

It has long been clear that a majority of Texans were going to vote for the Republican presidential candidate come November, no matter who got the party nomination. But demographers say the state could be majority Latino in less than 20 years, and some conservatives are hoping to woo Latinos over to their side.More >>>>

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Hoosiers Vote: Should Republicans Work with the President?

The idea of bipartisanship is being put before Indiana voters on Tuesday. Six-term Republican Senator Richard Lugar from Indiana faces a tough primary challenge from a Tea Party favorite. Lugar has been known for his ability to reach across the aisle on national security issues. His opponent is using that against him and has opened a big lead in the polls. More>>>

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Could Filipinos in Las Vegas Wield Political Power?

The population of Asian Americans grew by nearly 50 percent between 2000 and 2010. And nowhere have their numbers swelled more quickly than in Nevada. Much of that growth has been fueled by Filipino immigrants. The World’s Jason Margolis looks at this potential voting bloc for the November elections. More>>>

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How The DREAM Act May Impact November’s Elections

Most Latinos in the US support the DREAM Act to give young undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship. But the bill has languished in Congress. Democrats typically favor the bill, and Republicans have largely opposed it. Now Democrats hope to make that an issue among Latino voters in the November election. The World’s Jason Margolis reports from Las Vegas. More>>>

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Nevada’s Latinos: A Dormant Voting Force

Latinos could be a force at the polls. There’s one problem though: Many don’t vote. That’s partially because many are eligible to become citizens, but aren’t bothering with the citizenship process. More>>>

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Do Businessmen Make Good Presidents?

Mitt Romney has run his campaign touting his business background. He says it will make him a good future president. But does business experience give a head of state a leg up? And why does a nation turn to a CEO for leadership? More>>>

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The Presidential Politics of Ignoring Climate Change

One issue has been nowhere on the radar during the Republican presidential primaries: addressing global climate change. More>>>

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Venezuelans Getting Political in Florida

Venezuela’s president Hugo Chavez is warning he’ll nationalize banks. That’s if they refuse to fund agricultural projects backed by his government. It’s the kind of pronouncement that gets Venezuelans here in the US up in arms. Many of them make their home in Florida. More>>>

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Republican Candidates Court Miami’s Cuban Vote

The Republican candidates are in Florida. To capture the state, it’s key to appeal to Hispanic voters. And no Latino group is more important in Florida than Miami’s Cubans. More>>>

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Foreign Policy and the Republican Race in Iowa

The military and foreign policy haven’t been major topics this campaign for the Republican presidential candidates. In fact, national security is rarely mentioned. More>>>

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Blog Post: Apathy in Iowa

I sat in a small darkened theater in Des Moines last week enjoying the theatrical production: “Caucus! The Musical, Episode 2012: The GOP Strikes Back.” It’s an entertaining tale, from playwright Robert John Ford, looking at the bizarre nature of the Iowa caucuses. More >>>>

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Iowa: Globalization & Immigration

Relative to much of the country, Iowa is prospering: Urban areas are thriving and corn is fetching record prices. But smaller industrial towns are struggling. Jason Margolis visited three rural Iowa communities to see how they are dealing with the shifting economic challenges of globalization and changing immigration patterns. More >>>>

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How Flat Taxes Worked Abroad

One of the major topics among the Republican presidential candidates is the idea of a flat tax. That’s a system where everybody pays the same tax rate, regardless of income. And you can’t take deductions.More >>>>

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