Browsing: politics

As political disagreements continue to shape conversations across the country, Baylor’s Department of Intercultural Engagement is creating opportunities for students to discuss differing viewpoints through its Dinner and Discourse events.

The First Amendment is one of the most deliberated amendments in American politics. There seems to be a major issue, however: Freedom of speech only matters when we agree with what is being said.

Radicalism is on the rise on both the left and the right, with the DSA winning major primary elections and the right growing more extreme. Our country needs political moderation now more than ever.

Political debates have long given candidates an opportunity to present their positions and distinguish themselves from their opponents. But as more candidates decline invitations to debate, the traditional campaign forum may be becoming less common.

Generation Z is incredibly intelligent, yet many Baylor students are letting their access to education go to waste and no one is saying anything about it. Baylor students seem concerningly comfortable with staying politically passive, educationally unaware and culturally illusioned.

Democracy is designed to be boring sometimes, and that’s OK. The idea that every election from the past ten years, if not longer, would risk the end of our democracy isn’t true. Our democracy is slow moving, but strong. While every election isn’t the “most important ever,” the slow impact and build up from each election is worth our time, even without the threats of the end of the world.

For some Baylor students, the midterm election comes down to rent and grocery costs. For others, it is a question of human dignity, the integrity of elected officials or the role religion should play in government. The issues overlap, but students do not always agree on which deserve the most attention. Baylor students revealed different priorities shaping how they approach the ballot, from immigration policy and economic security to political corruption and religious values.

“What makes a difference is neighbors showing up at their neighbors’ doorstep and telling them why this election is so important,” Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico said.

While the campaigns in Texas have been focused fundamentally on the affordability crisis, the Texas Senate race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico remains highly contested due to the engagement of identity politics from both candidates.

Baylor’s Baptist affiliation seems to spark questions and opinions whenever anything remotely political happens in the community – and reasonably so. In order to respectfully challenge the university’s approach to contentious topics, however, we need to understand what the true mission of a Christian college student should be.

From endorsing candidates to encouraging voter participation, celebrities have become a part of American politics. While their platform can bring light to issues, their fame does not equal expertise. Celebrities can speak out, but the public should think for themselves.

President Donald Trump will stop in Waco next Tuesday, Oct. 27, to campaign for Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton, Fox News reported Monday afternoon.

There are some sentences that should never sound casual coming from the president of the United States, especially when they involve missiles, American cities and millions of lives.

Congressman Pete Sessions and businessman Ross Perot Jr. spoke Thursday at the Baylor Club for the Waco Chamber’s State of the Nation Luncheon. Both emphasized Texas’s importance, economic growth, and a bright future.

In an effort to understand how immigration policy affects both immigrant and American communities, Baylor’s Department of Sociology invited Dr. Phillip Connor, a lecturer in Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs and Department of Sociology, to present his research Monday in the Draper Academic Building.

Classical concert pianist, minister, author, and mother Jade Simmons is taking an unconventional route to the U.S. Senate, running as an independent write-in candidate in Texas’ Nov. 3 election. During an event Monday at Baylor, Simmons broke down what running independently means for her and the challenges of campaigning without a party affiliation.

The death penalty has been used in the United States since 1608. its continued use raises questions surrounding wrongful convictions and the methods used to carry out executions. Unlike the death penalty, life imprisonment holds criminals accountable and also give them time to recognize the consequences.

In 2026, politicians no longer need a press conference, television interview or newspaper story to reach voters. With one post, they can deliver a message directly to millions of people — including young voters who increasingly encounter news online.

The Constitution states that Congress cannot make any law prohibiting the free exercise of the press. As Americans, we have a right to knowledge about our government and global events.

The American presidency is changing, and we will have to live with the consequences. It is time to stop sacrificing character and leadership on the altar of good policy and demand both in the Oval Office.

It seems as though each year the importance of election season grows, with 2026 being no exception. With the ever-growing political tension and scrutiny between parties, the responsibility to build bridges falls on us — those with the power to vote. If you’re struggling with where to begin, here are five questions to help get you on the right path.

Students attending the event, whether in protest or to support Talarico’s campaign, held conflicting views over whether Talarico and his opponent Ken Paxton’s Christian values will be the deciding factor in the ballot box.

Red “Make America Affordable Again” campaign signs waved throughout a packed Mark & Paula Hurd Grand Ballroom Wednesday night as Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico took the stage at Baylor. According to the Talarico campaign, 1,100 people RSVP’d for the event.

We live in a time and country with no shortage of things worth caring about. Yet too often, an issue does not seem to matter until its consequences are relevant, immediate, visible or catastrophic. A war thousands of miles away is an easy headline to scroll past; a local decision can happen without most of the people it affects ever knowing; an injustice can continue quietly for years if it never becomes dramatic enough to command national attention.

Trump encouraged voter turnout and touts policy victories, saying, “Pretend I’m on the ballot.” He also announced that if Republicans win the House and Senate, every adult U.S. citizen would receive a $5,000 dividend.

As James Talarico and Ken Paxton campaign for the U.S. Senate, both candidates have made Christianity a prominent part of their political identities. But the two candidates draw very different conclusions about how their faith should shape government, from the separation of church and state to the role of Christian values in public policy.

Baylor’s student body has had the opportunity to react to various political events on campus over the past year. Tables add color to Fountain Mall day in and day out, and may or may not be political in nature. One constant remains, however: Baylor University is not, and ought not to be, directly political.

Following the announcement that Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico will visit Baylor’s campus, members of the Baylor community have begun discussing the event both on-campus and online.

James Talarico will host a campaign event at 7 p.m. Sept. 16 at the Mark and Paula Hurd Center. Baylor extended invitations to Talarico, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, and Republican candidate Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general. Paxton’s campaign was unable to accommodate Baylor’s available dates.

Tensions continued to grow over the summer between political adversaries as Texas state Sen. James Talarico called on Attorney General Ken Paxton to release internal records related to a controversial child sexual abuse case involving former Waco attorney and Baylor Law graduate Adam Hoffman.