The holiday season is officially over and 2015 is in full swing. Even the United States Congress is back in session! Before we get too far into the New Year, I thought it would be good to look back on ten important American political issues and events that happened in 2014.

1. Affordable Care Act: The continued rollout of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) faced many setbacks in 2014. Kathleen Sebelius, former Secretary of Health and Human Services, resigned in April after becoming the scapegoat for a slow and buggy healthcare.gov, the website which housed the plan’s open enrollment. Despite the issues, the number of Americans who signed up for health coverage under ACA exceeded expectations.
2. ISIS Attacks: ISIS, or the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, rolled across Iraq and Syria in 2014 vying for a unified Islamic state, or caliphate. ISIS is presumed responsible for the death of several American journalist and aid workers as well as for widespread civilian deaths across the Middle East. President Obama authorized additional troops and targeted airstrikes in ISIS held territory. As the recent attack in Paris confirms, ISIS sympathizers are active and extremely dangerous. Continue reading →