Editor: Michael Bungay Stanier

Pages: 240

Review:

What can an ordinary college student do to save 655,000 lives every year in communities across the world?  How can that same student fill her life with meaningful work that she cares about? End Malaria provides an answer to both of those questions, while sharing words of wisdom from dozens of successful leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs.

The book itself is a business enterprise with an altruistic goal: for every copy sold, a full $20 of the $25 retail price is donated to the nonprofit group Malaria No More, which provides bed nets to families in areas where malaria is prevalent. Bed nets have been shown to significantly reduce the incidence of malaria-related deaths, and are both cheap and easy to use.  Since the nets themselves are valued at $10 apiece, every book sold provides two nets. By releasing the book through The Domino Project, an online publishing enterprise founded by entrepreneur Seth Godin, Amazon Kindle users can purchase the book at a discounted price, ensuring that 100 percent of their contribution is donated to Malaria No More.  

If the opportunity to contribute to such a worthy cause is not reason enough to buy the book, the authors’ missives may provide an additional incentive. End Malaria is essentially a compilation of brief essays by successful people from a variety of different fields. Each of the brilliant and tenacious authors offer the reader ingots of insight that helped them get to where they are today. On their own, they seem disparate, but when digested altogether the essays illuminate a pathway to achievement and fulfillment in both the workplace and personal life.

In “What’s the Matter with Millenials?” author Dan Pink challenges the conventional workplace wisdom that members of Generation Y are emotionally needy and require constant feedback to bolster their fragile egos. In fact, Pink argues that modern offices are “feedback deserts” with few opportunities for employees to improve the quality of their work outside of the traditional annual performance review. Pink encourages managers to “fix the workplace, not the workers” and close feedback loops more frequently. Among the strategies that Pink identifies are monthly self-evaluations and goal-setting sessions, peer-to-peer feedback, and anonymous feedback software systems such as Rypple.

Author and social web strategist Gwen Bell encourages workers to unplug more often from our electronic devices. She tells a story from her own personal history, in which a house she shared with five others burned to the ground one night and left her with few possessions. She was forced in that moment to ask herself “what matters?” Bell challenges readers to evaluate how much time we spend consuming information, and whether or not we would choose to devote that same amount of time if we knew our houses would soon be burnt to a crisp. In addition to becoming more mindful of our bodies throughout the workday, we should eliminate distractions one by one until we focus on the things that are most important.

In a similar vein, entrepreneur Derek Sivers, founder of CD Baby, asks: “Finish this sentence: In a perfect world, ____________.” He argues that answering this one simple question forces us to realize and acknowledge what kind of life we would like to be living, and guides us through all of the daily decisions that we need to make in order to get there. Reminding ourselves of what we should be aiming for creates a healthy distance between reality and vision, thereby allowing us to imagine and create.

Sometimes, however, we can be our own worst enemies. Innovator Ryan Vanderbilt, who has worked for Google among other companies, claims that his own inner monologue held him back for years. The thought, “I have to be perfect,” was crippling – he writes that, “[i]f you remain a perfectionist, you won’t ever achieve up to your full ability because the fear of messing up will prevent you from fully exploring the possibilities.” Pam Slim, author of Escape from Cubicle Nation, agrees. Self-doubt, she argues, often prevents great work from ever happening at all. To help combat our inherent tendency to avoid risk, entrepreneur Charlene Li encourages us to embrace failure and celebrate the outcomes of our work regardless of whether or not they are “successful” outcomes.

So how do we get started? Josh Linkner, CEO of ePrize, suggests that we spend 5 percent of our work time (just 2 hours each week) imagining possibilities and engaging in unstructured, creative thought. By setting aside our busy schedules to think and create, we become “more efficient and more innovative at the same time.” Abandoning much of our careful preparation may be another solution, as Lauryn Ballesteros, VP of Strategic Partnerships at The Domino Project, suggests. Opportunities appear when “people trust you and there is a connection.” Good conversations establish such connections, and these types of conversations are never scripted; they are “natural and unplanned.”

When all else fails, a leap of faith may be necessary. Entrepreneur Jonathan Fields argues that moments of creation are never easy, and anything worth doing is filled with uncertainty. What matters most is overcoming fear and making the choice to move forward with something that might, at the time, seem completely crazy. As Michael Bungay Stanier, the editor of End Malaria, reminds us: “[d]on’t undertake a project unless it is manifestly important and nearly impossible.”

The cause underlying End Malaria is certainly important, but not quite impossible – if you’re willing to take one small step and read the book.

No related posts.

Harlan joins Keeping Up with Gen Y to talk about his three-thong approach to ensuring that Gen Y are physically, emotionally, and spiritually comfortable to take risks and find their perfect mate. He also points out the importance of being willing to speak and hear the truth when embarking on a lasting relationship.

MORE ABOUT HARLAN COHEN

Harlan Cohen, author, Getting Naked

Harlan Cohen is the New York Times Bestselling author of the Naked Roommate series. And his new book, Getting Naked: Five Steps to Finding the Love of Your Life (While Fully Clothed & Totally Sober) has just been released by St. Martin’s Press.

In addition to bestselling author, Harlan is a professional speaker and nationally syndicated advice columnist. The Chicago resident has been featured as an expert in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Real Simple, Seventeen, and Psychology Today, talking about issues that affect Gen Y such as college life, dating, relationships, risk taking, leadership, and a variety of other topics.

You can listen to the show below or you can download it as a podcast from our iTunes page. And you can find us on WomensRadio.

BONUS!

Listen as Harlan reads an excerpt from Getting Naked (audiobook courtesy of Macmillan Audio).

Related posts:

1. Gen Y leaving mark on communities
2. YA Author Julie Kagawa inspiring young writers
3. Gen Y entrepreneurs finding inspiration

Matt joins Keeping Up with Gen Y to encourage Gen Y interested in starting their own businesses to make the leap, only don’t jump blindly. One of the first steps he recommends is that you draft a mission that will give consumers a reason to support your venture. He also discusses ways to improve the consumer experience to turn your passion project into a success.

MORE ABOUT MATT ALTSCHUL

Matt Altschul, CEO and Co-Founder, CM4

Matt Altschul is CEO and co-founder of Austin, Texas-based CM4, which designs and sells cases and covers for products such as iPhone 4, Nintendo 3DS, Wii, and Sony PSPgo.

A graduate of both The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Business Administration and St. Mary’s University in San Antonio with an MBA in International Entrepreneurship, Matt previously worked as Vice President of Operations for L.A.-based V-MODA.

You can listen to the show below or you can download it as a podcast from our iTunes page. And you can find us on WomensRadio.

The Y Gen Entrepreneurs series, which airs the second Wednesday of each month, is sponsored by Constant Contact, a leading provider of email marketing, event marketing, online surveys, and social media marketing to small businesses, associations and nonprofits. Click here for more information.
 



 
 

Related posts:

1. Gen Y entrepreneurs rethink status quo
2. Gen Y entrepreneurs averting startup mistakes
3. Gen Y entrepreneurs passionate about problem solving

Eboni S. Nelson, a University of South Carolina law professor, joins Keeping Up with Gen Y to break down the specifics of the CARD Act and how effective it has been in protecting the next generation’s financial futures. She also provides tips on how Gen Y can use credit cards wisely as well as how those in trouble can fix their credit problems now.

MORE ABOUT EBONI S. NELSON

Eboni S. Nelson, law professor, University of South Carolina

Eboni S. Nelson is a University of South Carolina law professor who teaches Contracts, Commercial Law, and Consumer Law. Her analysis of the Credit CARD Act of 2009 in protecting young consumers appeared in the April issue of the Banking & Financial Services Policy Report.

Prior to joining the faculty, she taught Commercial Law and Texas Consumer Law at Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston. Eboni’s interests include education law and policy, specifically the intersection of consumer law and education issues, and her scholarly articles have appeared in numerous legal journals such as the Utah Law Review, the Villanova Law Review, and the University of Miami Law Review.

Graduating summa cum laude from Wake Forest University, Eboni received her J.D. from Harvard Law School, where she served as a teaching assistant and tutor for law school classes. After graduating from Harvard, she practiced employee benefits in the Houston office of Bracewell & Giuliani, LLP.

You can listen to the show below or you can download it as a podcast from our iTunes page. And you can find us on WomensRadio.

Related posts:

1. Everything Gen Y wanted to know about the Federal Reserve
2. How Gen Y can achieve their New Year’s Resolutions
3. Gen Y under pressure

Is there hope for our generation? Are we really just a pack of lackluster, self-absorbed individualists who care nothing for the rest of the world? Scientific studies aside, there are a few indications that we aren’t as degenerate as our elders make us out to be. Recently, more than 150 young people between the ages of 16 and 30 gathered in Austin, Texas, for an evening of civic brainstorming. The event, co-hosted by the White House Office of Public Engagement and the Annette Strauss Institute of Civic Participation, was one of 17 youth town hall events in the White House’s “Young America” series.

After listening to a series of “TED”-style talks performed by a number of their peers, attendees were invited to approach the stage and propose an issue for discussion in small groups. Twenty-six people accepted the challenge and pitched problems that they would like to see solved.

Which issues were most important to these particular members of Gen Y? Although the list of topics ranged from airport security screenings to nuclear arms reduction, some common themes emerged. Several participants were interested in entrepreneurship and creating jobs for the future. Another significant segment of the proposed issues dealt with reproductive health and sexual education. The largest category was education, encompassing both access (especially for low-income youth) and aspects of educational quality (such as scientific literacy). Finally, a group of participants clustered around issues of apathy, polarized partisan discourse, and ways in which young people could be “tricked into liking things.”

Once the topics of conversation were established, participants broke into small groups to present their ideas and discuss solutions.  A process called “Open Spaces” was used to organize the breakout session. Participants were encouraged to view all of their fellow group members as “the right people” for the conversation and respect differences in opinion. If they did not like the discussion or felt that they had contributed everything they could, they could employ the “Rule of 2 Feet” and move to another conversation at their discretion. Each group was directed to identify specific challenges or obstacles related to their chosen issue, develop potential solutions, and propose a series of next steps or action items that would help move America forward towards resolution of the problem.

Despite the controversy surrounding some of the issues, the discussions were predominantly civil. In one group dedicated to reducing political polarization, participants determined that encouraging exposure to alternative perspectives and opposing points of view would help Americans move away from the fringes of the political spectrum and compromise with one another. A second group, which aimed to confront apathy among youth, speculated that poor education, a negative media environment, and the absence of community spaces that people could occupy and utilize to engage with others were the root causes of apathy. They proposed to use social media to make important issues more personal and therefore more relevant to youth, as well as reaching out to schools and investing in community buildings.

Education group members focused on ways in which they could shift the preoccupation with outcomes in the American educational system to the process of learning in order to engage K-12 students more effectively. In the scientific literacy group, they argued that the paucity of scientists in politics, sensationalism in the media, and a pervasive confirmation bias among the public has contributed to widespread misperceptions of scientific topics in America. Both groups began to draft action items to address these problems, including shifting funding priorities and providing additional support to families and communities to take the burden off schools.

By putting their heads together, participants were able to generate some potential solutions to problems that they care deeply about. Even if only a percentage of their ideas eventually became reality, the attendees were able to initiate a more forward-thinking conversation. Far from being disengaged and apathetic, the participants actively imagined a better world for themselves and others.

For more information and to watch streaming video from the event, visit the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Participation’s website.

No related posts.

Irene Mwathi, founder of Start Up Katalyst, an Austin, Texas-based organization that mentors start-ups and coaches them through the funding stages, joins Keeping Up with Gen Y to talk about ways Gen Y can create a sustainable business model as they work their way through the startup process. She also provides the questions that investors ask startups looking for funding as well as lists those questions startups should ask investors to ensure a perfect fit.

MORE ABOUT IRENE MWATHI

Irene Mwathi, founder, Start Up Katalyst

Irene Mwathi is the founder of Start Up Katalyst, an Austin, Texas-based organization that mentors start-ups and coaches them through funding and post funding stages to sustain growth. She is also the CEO of RAI IT Consulting, a technology consulting business that helps Fortune 500 companies, such as Dell, Cisco Systems, IBM, and 3M, in reengineering projects to realign with evolving business processes.

A native of Kenya, Irene graduated with an MBA in 2006 from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

You can listen to the show below or you can download it as a podcast from our iTunes page. And you can find us on WomensRadio.

Related posts:

1. Gen Y building businesses with email marketing
2. Gen Y building businesses while getting degrees
3. Gen Y entrepreneurs averting startup mistakes

Kyle joins Keeping Up with Gen Y to discuss how a passion for problem solving is an ideal entry into entrepreneurship. He also talks about how young entrepreneurs can avoid failure by continuing to learn about their business as well as adjusting to the inevitable changes and challenges.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT KYLE JOHNSON

Kyle Johson, CEO and Founder, AudioAnywhere

Kyle Johnson is CEO and founder of Lawrence, KS-based AudioAnywhere. The business, through its ad platform Bixy, makes online advertising more effective for music streaming sites. Kyle was recently named “Innovator of the Year” by the Pipeline entrepreneurship program, which honors top inventors in the mid-West.

A graduate of the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, Kyle previously worked for Accenture as a consultant for companies in the wireless industry.

You can listen to the show below or you can download it as a podcast from our iTunes page. And you can find us on WomensRadio.

The Y Gen Entrepreneurs series, which airs the second Wednesday of each month, is sponsored by Constant Contact, a leading provider of email marketing, event marketing, online surveys, and social media marketing to small businesses, associations and nonprofits. Click here for more information.

Related posts:

1. Gen Y entrepreneurs balancing profits with volunteerism
2. Gen Y entrepreneurs make leap with open eyes
3. Gen Y entrepreneurs making their mark

Michael Larsen, co-founder of San Francisco-based Larsen-Pomada Literary Agents, joins Keeping Up with Gen Y to talk about how Gen Y entrepreneurs should start writing immediately to build credibility as well as establish themselves as thought leaders in their fields. He also shares his three keys to succeeding as a writer faster and more easily than ever (which you can download in a pdf file here).

MORE ABOUT MICHAEL LARSEN

Michael Larsen, co-founder, Larsen-Pomada Literary Agents

Co-founder of San Francisco-based Larsen-Pomada Literary Agents, Michael Larsen is a literary agent and consultant to nonfiction writers. He and his partner Elizabeth Pomada also are co-directors of the San Francisco Writers Conference and the San Francisco Writing for Change Conference.

He is the author of the new fourth edition of How to Write a Book Proposal and the third edition of How to Get a Literary Agent, as well as coauthor of the second edition of Guerrilla Marketing for Writers: 100 Weapons for Selling Your Work.

You can listen to the show below or you can download it as a podcast from our iTunes page. And you can find us on WomensRadio.

Related posts:

1. Gen Y leading the readers revolution
2. Technology breaking barriers for Gen Y authors
3. Gen Y entrepreneurs averting startup mistakes

It has been two years since President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law, initiating a wave of controversy that has so far failed to ebb. This week the U.S. Supreme Court will spend several days hearing arguments for and against the constitutionality of the law. Despite having strong feelings about the law, few Americans have actually read the 906-page bill in its entirety. Political pundits of every ideological variation have exploited our confusion by selectively highlighting or concealing certain provisions of the law. We may be very familiar with the talking points, but the facts are somewhat harder to find.

The most contentious provision in the Act is the requirement for individuals to maintain “minimum essential health care coverage,” which is frequently referred to as the “individual mandate.” This provision will be the first to be taken up by the Supreme Court, as many believe that requiring individuals to purchase a product is unconstitutional. It is certainly true that the law requires everyone (with a few exceptions) to purchase health insurance, although the options for coverage vary. A person can maintain coverage through Medicare or Medicaid, if eligible, an employer-sponsored health plan, an individual market plan, or any other health plan that covers at least 60 percent of costs. Still, if you are uninsured, the requirement isn’t due to take effect until January 2014.

What happens to individuals who don’t purchase a health plan? The act establishes a penalty, which must be reported on income tax returns, on individuals who can afford health insurance but fail to purchase it for themselves. There are a number of complex calculations for assessing this fee, but for most individuals it will be an amount equal to one-twelfth of 0.5 percent of an individual’s income, beginning in 2014 (the percentage is gradually raised in 2015 and again in 2016 where it rests at one-twelfth of 2 percent).

Other well-publicized features of the law include the requirement that each state establish their own Health Insurance Exchange Program. Each exchange will be a competitive marketplace administered by either a non-profit organization or a government agency that will allow consumers to compare and purchase health insurance plans. Consumers aren’t required to purchase a plan from the exchange, but each state must establish the exchange itself. If a state fails to do so by 2014, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will step in and create one for the state.

At this point, you may be wondering: how does all of this affect me personally? Maybe you already have health insurance through your university, your employer, or your parents. Maybe you’re uninsured and apprehensive about what will happen to you.  In either case, take note: the health care law contains a number of provisions that have consequences for those of us in Generation Y. First and foremost, the age at which you are no longer covered by your parents’ health insurance plan has been raised to 26, provided that you remain unmarried. Secondly, those of us just starting out in our careers that have incomes between 100 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty line can claim a discount of up to two-thirds of the cost of co-pays and deductibles. The act also prohibits insurers from refusing to cover individuals with preexisting medical conditions, and from basing eligibility for health insurance on a person’s medical history, genetic information, or claims history. In a similar vein, once you have coverage, your insurer cannot drop you from the plan for any reason unless there is evidence of fraud.

It’s important to note that there are certain things the health care law does not do. Among the most frequently discussed provisions is the exemption for undocumented immigrants and prisoners. Neither group is included in the definition of a “qualified individual” who is eligible to purchase a health plan through the exchange. Consequently, they will neither be included in the individual mandate nor be eligible to purchase a plan through the health insurance exchange. Certain other individuals are also exempt from the individual mandate. They include: people who have conflicts of religious conscience, members of health care sharing ministries, individuals for whom the cost of coverage would exceed 8 percent of their income, and people living below the federal poverty line. Individuals who have suffered a “hardship” may also be exempt from the penalty for failing to purchase insurance, depending on how that hardship is interpreted by the HHS Secretary.

In its final form, the law states that no health plan is required to cover abortion services, although a plan may choose to provide such coverage if desired. Each state is also authorized to enact laws prohibiting health insurance coverage of abortion.

If you’re concerned about what will happen to you if you ignore the penalty for failing to purchase insurance, don’t get too imaginative: taxpayers cannot be criminally prosecuted or have their property seized if they don’t pay the fine. Finally, the law states that no person will be required to end his or her coverage under any health insurance plan if the person was enrolled by the date the Act became law.

To learn more about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and provisions that may affect you, read the full summary at Project Vote Smart or call 1-888-VOTE-SMART.

Related posts:

1. Supreme Court rules strip search illegal
2. Souter out, Sotomayor in
3. Sotomayor’s road to Supreme Court

Valerie Savage, founder of For Women’s Sake, an Austin, Texas-based counseling facility that focuses on women suffering from disordered eating, stress/anxiety, and depression, joins Keeping Up with Gen Y to talk about how Gen Y suffering from eating disorders can be taught healthy coping mechanisms for when they are overwhelmed with the pressures of college or first jobs. She also discusses the role of the media and Internet in distorting real body images and how family can reinforce positive self-identities.

MORE ABOUT VALERIE SAVAGE

Valerie Savage, founder, For Women's Sake

Valerie Savage is founder of For Women’s Sake, an Austin, Texas-based counseling facility that focuses on women suffering from disordered eating, stress/anxiety, depression, and marital conflict.

A graduate from St. Edwards’ University in Austin with a Master of Arts in Counseling, Valerie recently completed the requirements as a Licensed Professional Counselor. In addition to her private practice, Valerie is a member of the Austin Eating Disorder Specialists and is a program therapist leading groups at Cedar Springs Austin Eating Disorder Treatment Center.

You can listen to the show below or you can download it as a podcast from our iTunes page. And you can find us on WomensRadio.

Related posts:

1. Propelling Gen Y toward their Professional Destiny
2. Gen Y under pressure
3. Gen Y staying healthy this holiday season

Josh joins Keeping Up with Gen Y to talk about how Gen Y who want to become entrepreneurs should start by finding the place where their talents, passions, and life experiences intersect. He also discusses how taking a meandering path to your dream career may be the best course to follow.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT JOSH ALLAN DYKSTRA

Josh Allan Dykstra, work revolutionary , author, speaker

A work revolutionary, author, and speaker, Josh Allan Dykstra is founder of Strengths Doctors, a Los Angeles-based consulting firm that helps leaders design energizing work environments.

He has an eclectic work background in a variety of industries, from Fortune 500 companies like Apple, Starbucks, and Viacom/CBS to startups, nonprofits, and government agencies.

A graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with both a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts and Leadership and an MBA in Executive Leadership, Josh is author of a soon-to-be released book about the changing world of work and thriving in the emerging economy called Igniting the Invisible Tribe: Designing An Organization That Doesn’t Suck.

You can listen to the show below or you can download it as a podcast from our iTunes page. And you can find us on WomensRadio.

The Y Gen Entrepreneurs series, which airs the second Wednesday of each month, is sponsored by Constant Contact, a leading provider of email marketing, event marketing, online surveys, and social media marketing to small businesses, associations and nonprofits. Click here for more information.

Related posts:

1. Generation Y diving into entrepreneurship
2. Gen Y taking control of personal branding
3. Gen Y inspired by entrepreneurship education

To share with us more information about what’s been dubbed the “App Economy,” we have Scott Williamson, co-founder of Mondico, a Los Angeles-based publisher of online games and social applications. Scott joins Keeping Up with Gen Y to discuss how Gen Y can find their space in the growing app industry. He also talks about the future of apps as they become more integrated into new and interesting places beyond our mobile devices.

MORE ABOUT SCOTT WILLIAMSON

Scott Williamson, co-founder, Mondico

Scott Williamson is co-founder of Mondico, a Los Angeles-based publisher of online games and social applications. With over 15 years experience building and leading Internet companies, Scott develops the strategies and software architecture for Mondico’s sites.

Prior to Mondico, Scott was co-founder and Managing Director of Threshold Interactive, a leading digital agency in Los Angeles. At Threshold, Scott oversaw trend-setting online campaigns and digital initiatives for several leading companies and brands, including Nestlé Butterfinger and Waters, Honda, Sony, and Disney.

After graduating with an Engineering degree from Montreal’s McGill University, Scott went on to receive an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

You can listen to the show below or you can download it as a podcast from our iTunes page. And you can find us on WomensRadio.
 

Related posts:

1. Gen Y using 3-thong approach to finding love
2. Gen Y taking meandering path to entrepreneurship
3. Gen Y entrepreneurs finding inspiration

There is a possibility that the final four Republican presidential candidates will face a long, hard slog to the convention, if they choose to run that gauntlet together. Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul have shown no indication that they will drop out, and Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum are trapped in a dead heat, battling tooth and nail for every last delegate. At this time, it’s unclear whether or not one candidate will be able to pick up enough delegates to win. This uncertainty has sparked speculation of a brokered convention among political journalists and pundits. But just what is a “brokered convention,” exactly?

A brokered convention is a last-ditch effort for a party to select its presidential nominee if none of the candidates have been able to garner enough delegates to secure the nomination. Put simply, it’s a free-for-all: delegates that have been pledged to a specific candidate are released from their commitments and are free to support whichever candidate they choose. Delegates form coalitions among themselves and lobby others to join their camp in support of a specific candidate.

In order for a convention to become brokered, all attending delegates must first cast an initial vote to determine if one candidate will receive the majority of votes. If no candidate has a majority, the brokering begins. The vote may be repeated any number of times until one individual secures enough support. For the Republican contest this year, a total of 1,144 delegates are needed to win.

In addition, at a brokered convention the race is opened to other candidates, allowing any individual who would like to run for president to throw his (or her) hat into the ring. Some commentators have speculated that a prominent Republican politician, such as Jeb Bush or Sarah Palin, may try to join the race. But a surprise nominee would face an extraordinary challenge: after the initial excitement associated with upsetting the political apple cart has worn off, the newly-minted presidential nominee must raise money, hire campaign staff, and woo voters in only a few short months before the November general election — a tall order for even the most well-connected politician!

Believe it or not, the phenomenon of a previously-unknown candidate winning the party’s nomination has happened before. One oft-cited example from history is the 1924 Democratic National Convention, during which controversy over whether or not alcohol should remain prohibited led to a political boxing match. This fight so exhausted the official candidates that a political nobody, John W. Davis, was able to nab the nomination.  Unfortunately for Davis, he didn’t have enough time to campaign and lost to Calvin Coolidge. A similar situation occurred at the Republican National Convention in 1948, when New York Gov. John Dewey was selected in a brokered convention to run against Harry Truman — and lost.

It seems as though it would be unlikely for any nominee who emerges from such a process to actually win the presidency, but in fact this scenario has occurred too. Franklin D. Roosevelt, the man who led the nation during the Great Depression and World War II, survived the brokering ordeal at the 1932 Democratic National Convention and went on to win the presidency not only that year, but again in 1936, 1940, and 1944 as well (President Roosevelt has been the only president to be elected to four terms and is likely to be the last, as Congress amended the Constitution in 1951 to establish the now-familiar two-term limit for U.S. presidents).

Although brokered conventions were once commonplace, they have become rare (the last one was in 1952). Why?  One reason is that over the past half-century, most primary elections have been so decisive that the convention itself is really just a formality. Running for president costs so much money that many candidates give up if they don’t think that they will gain enough delegates to win. The resulting “bandwagon” effect, when supporters of the candidates who dropped out throw their money and energy behind the declared front-runner, is usually sufficient to ensure victory.  Even in cases where the nomination was in doubt (such as the 2008 Democratic primary between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama), the existence of “superdelegates” has helped parties avoid the brokering process. The Democratic Party was the first party to set aside such delegates back in 1984. The preferences of superdelegates are unknown, so when their votes are added into the equation they usually push one candidate to the front of the pack.

If you live in a state with a primary election on Tuesday, or if your state still has not held a primary or caucus, take some time to learn more about the candidates. A complete list of 2012 presidential candidates can be found at Project Vote Smart, as well as voter registration information for each state.

Related posts:

1. Des Moines to D.C.: the long road to the White House
2. Redistricting: the 10-year shake up
3. The payroll tax cut extension and you

To provide insight into one of the premier events of the Interactive Conference, we have Chris Valentine, producer of SXSW Accelerator, which showcases the Internet’s newest startups and innovations from around the globe. Chris joins Keeping Up with Gen Y to talk about how Gen Y entrepreneurs attending the conference will benefit from conversations with the best and brightest business people from all generations. He also explains the importance of perfecting your elevator pitch at both your start up phase and as your company grows.

MORE ABOUT CHRIS VALENTINE

Chris Valentine, producer, SXSW Accelerator

Chris Valentine is the producer of SXSW Accelerator, a marquee event of the Interactive Conference, which showcases the Internet’s newest startups and innovations from around the globe. He’s also overseeing the newly-created Startup Village, a program that brings together and highlights the startup programming for the SXSW Interactive Conference.

In his spare time, Chris is CEO and founder of Adeo Interactive, a full service digital marketing/event planning firm. Using his experience in event production and marketing, Chris also promotes events for tech/non-profit clients that include Turner Entertainment, Busby Foundation, Big Austin, and Engage Digital Media.

You can listen to the show below or you can download it as a podcast from our iTunes page. And you can find us on WomensRadio.

Related posts:

1. Gen Y entrepreneurs making impact over money
2. Research key for Gen Y social entrepreneurs
3. Gen Y driving nonprofits to innovate and thrive

Well, recently we’ve found ourselves where that can landed, and to many onlookers’ surprise, there wasn’t much of a dust-up. The payroll tax cut was extended through the end of 2012, thereby saving some money in everybody’s paychecks. But what was all the fuss about in the first place? And why was there such controversy over a plan that extended the payroll tax cut for 3 months but an extension for almost an entire year gets wide bipartisan support?

Before we answer these questions, it’s important to know what the payroll tax cut is and why it was controversial: in every paycheck that you receive the Feds take money out to pay for Social Security and a few other programs. The payroll tax cut dropped the amount taken out by 2 percent, thereby giving you a little bit of a boost in your paycheck. Had the cut not been extended, that 2 percent cut would have been re-applied and that boost in your paycheck would be gone.

In December, Democrats seized the opportunity to steal lines from the traditionally Republican issue position of not raising taxes on Americans during a recession. Republicans, a little perplexed at having to rationalize being against a tax cut that the Democrats were for, pointed to the fact that if the payroll tax cut, which wasn’t paid for or offset, was extended then more debt would be added to our country’s already struggling economy.

After an intense and very public debate, Republicans blinked first, and a deal was hatched in the Senate to temporarily extend the tax cut until February. Everyone then high-tailed it out of Washington for winter break.

Low and behold, February came, and many were expecting more of the same rhetoric from the fall. However, in a move that would surprise even the most cynical of observers, a deal was made to extend the provision throughout the end of the year. The bill then passed both the House and the Senate by a relatively overwhelming majority.

Still, there was much opposition to this extension. Many Republicans and Democrats, in mirroring the bipartisan support of the bill, disagreed with the plan, which included other provisions like lowering the retirement benefits of newly hired federal workers. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) went so far as to say that the current Congress “is on the path to being the most anti-Federal worker Congress that I’ve served in.”

Other bill opponents argued that the tax cut wasn’t paid for, and would drive the nation even farther into debt. Representative Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) stated that the cut “is unfunded and adds upwards of $89 billion to the deficit. Our debt has reached crisis level, and we can’t continue to spend money we don’t have and borrow from foreign creditors.”

In the end, neither of these arguments were enough to stifle the passage of the bill.

So why the turnaround among Republicans this time round? There are a few things to look at. The first is that Congress is not held in the highest regard among voters, and in the battle last winter over the payroll tax cut, Republicans were viewed both by political pundits and the public to have been on the losing side of the fight. They didn’t want to go through that again, so they took this one on the chin while vowing to fight another day.

The second is something that is on the minds of every politician in Washington — it’s an election year. Nine months from now the folks on Capitol Hill will have to stand before the voters and plead for re-election. By passing the bill without as much furor this time, Republicans have been able to cut their losses sooner, and not have the battle play in the midst of a Presidential Primary. They also get the advantage of saying that they were against raising taxes on Americans during a recession.

However, even those Republicans who voted for the extension were quick to note that while they voted for the bill, the overall impact of President Obama and Congressional Democrats’ policies were the reasons why people need tax relief in the first place. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) conceded that while he voted for the bill, “this is an economic relief bill — not a growth bill. The only reason the provisions at the core of this measure are even necessary is because the president’s economic policies have failed.”

So while many people can enjoy the extra dough in their paychecks, leaders in Washington are probably breathing a sigh of relief that the bill passed and the firestorm of last winter did not happen again. At least, until next year, when the bill is set to expire…

Related posts:

1. Bill prefixes: decoding legislativese
2. Legislative process: Goliath or Gentle Giant?
3. Redistricting: the 10-year shake up