The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Yes, a two-party system can be divisive, but it can also allow people (non-Independents) to find their voice in a political community. Independent contractors are sometimes called ICs, consultants, freelancers, free agents, or contractors. On social issues I mostly support one side, but I lean towards the other side on many other issues; and ultimately I have no strong allegiance to either party and am frustrated whenever I see views that seem partisan or too extreme to either side, in short I think I truly am an independent at heart, not just on paper. Your email address will not be published. Independent contractors can engage in nearly any kind of work, but employers can't call just anyone who works for them an independent contractor. Anyone who is self-employed is an IC. So if you're an independent who's been following the campaigns and recently made up your mind -- you're left out. While its true change happens slowly, we can make that change by being willing to stand up for the working lower class. However, along with this, a lot of people feel that registering as an Independent and voting for a third party is throwing their vote away. (There are actually two different physical ballots, one for each party.) Something thats good about having the right balance of independence is that if youre on top of your own issues, youre more free to look after others. The concept of a bipartisan system is flawed. Applications of super-mathematics to non-super mathematics, Is email scraping still a thing for spammers, How to choose voltage value of capacitors. Also, you might need to pay for your own tools and equipment as well as establish a federal and state tax ID number. Politics is more than just beating the other candidate. But there were problems. But we need to remember that were not made to do our whole life alone, and that our greatest strength lies in partnering with others and doing it as a team. Including some celebs, like Emma Stone, Kaley Cuoco, and Demi Moore. Also, independents have an odd reputation since many independents in congress tend to be left leaning (ie Senator Sanders-VT) but many independents running for president fall under libertarian or religiously focused (ie Evan McMullin-UT). somehow the 'vote as often as legal' comment amuses me. People looked up to Sanders because he advocated change. However I live in Maryland, which has closed primaries for both parties and the state will always vote Democrat for presidential elections; which leaves me feeling that being an independent removes my voice. An unscientific observation: New Yorkers who are concerned about being disenfranchised by voter roll problems and by the closed primary system appear to be more likely to be Bernie Sanders supporters. He tells me that the Green party needs to make a comeback and that he will be the face of the campaign, but I literally just tell him that the Green party cant make a comeBACK, if it was never here to begin with. Theres something calming and uplifting in your analyses. If, for example, a majority of the voting population are registered to a candidate's party, they'll more likely consider your vote as "in the bag" without working hard to earn it. Here are 6 pros and cons of being independent. Many of Sanders supporters felt his chances at the presidency had been smeared and interfered with by liberal media and fellow former Democratic presidential candidates. But both tend to have lower voting turnout than the average voter, particularly in Mid-term elections. Planned Maintenance scheduled March 2nd, 2023 at 01:00 AM UTC (March 1st, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup, Ticket smash for [status-review] tag: Part Deux. Example: an employee for 50 reservations instead of 10 is more profitable. The Independent Planning Commission (IPC) held its public hearings last week over two days, with commissioners hearing from organisations and residents on the negative and positive impacts from holiday letting. 8 Ways To Be Physically Distant But Socially Connected, My Problem With How We Worship Being Single, 5 Emotional Games We Need To Stop Playing, Uh Oh, Nintendo: 5 Reasons The Switch Isnt Looking Great. In that sense I figured that the mere act of being registered as an independent may affect the vote, because the more of us independents out there the more likely candidates would moderate their platform to recognize the needs of that swing-vote demographic and stick to more centralist policies. Sanders had been pegged by many Democratic voters as too socialist, loud and abrasive, along with many other words. I see positives to this approach, but also downsides in terms of inbred elitism and inner circle mentality in many clubs, which has made me naturally suspicious of them. It's a matter of fact that Maryland has voted democratic for presidential elections for as long as I have been alive, I think it's pretty safe to assume that will continue in the near future. https://t.co/xZg5dyQYRL. When many people expressed distaste toward voting for Biden over Trump, choosing instead to withhold their vote or vote third party, they were met with a barrage of Democratic supporters repeating the same phrase: Vote blue no matter who. Moving on to the pros and cons besides maybe the first one being that Independents cant vote in some primaries. First off, some background: as of September 2019, according to Gallup Polling, thirty one percent of Americans identified as Democrat, twenty nine percent identified as Republican, and thirty eight percent identified as Independent. For Californians who mistakenly registered with AIP, here's the bad news: For Republicans, it's a closed primary, so only registered Republicans can vote for a GOP candidate. If an individual receives a steady paycheck and is on an employer's payroll, definitely the person is an employee and not an independent contractor. "Independent Contractor (Self-Employed) or Employee? Who's to say that politicians won't one day decide that the average voter doesn't know what's best for them and elect a candidate who clearly does not represent the choice of the people? Therefore unable to vote in the primary. Theres multiple benefits to being registered as an independent. The journey of someone just like you, on a journey just like you. But some of these voters made up their minds in time to register in October but didn't (looking at you, Ivanka and Eric). So I am a person whose extremely weary of independents because Ive seen many of my apolitical friends use this as a cop out and excuse for not voting since they just cant in the primary so now Im annoyed in the general. You can feel free to have your own political opinions and views that arent dictated and determined by a conglomerate of politicians. One of the great rites of passage that isnt always as defined as a rite is the acquisition of our independence. If you're considering pursuing being an occupational therapist, here are benefits: Job security Earlier we discussed some of the benefits of working as an independent contractor, like setting your own hours and making your own rules. Do you think its a good thing or a bad thing? A court or government agency would be likely to consider this employer justified in classifying this event planner as an independent contractor. First off, you dont have to be pressured by one party or another to vote a specific way. Here are six facts about political independents: 1 Nearly four-in-ten U.S. adults (38%) identify as politically independent, but most "lean" toward one of the two major parties. Why should they have to vote for anyone? Firstly because of the restriction on voting in primaries. The attorney listings on this site are paid attorney advertising. Here are 6 pros and cons of being independent. However, being an independent contractor can come with more responsibility. Here are some pros and cons of working as an entrepreneur: Pros of being an entrepreneur If you want to be an entrepreneur, here are a few pros to consider: 1. Ive worked on a number of software development projects in a number of different organizations state and federal government agencies, larger companies, and even those smaller projects on the side. That average can go up even more in various U.S. cities and states. Ultimately, this system of government has its pros and cons. As for dedicated materials on being suspicious of large groups or organisations, I cant think of much but I have seen some considerations on isolation and connection from Brene Brown and Doctors Caroline Leaf and Henry Cloud, maybe they have something that might help? In North Carolina, for example, a voter registered as an independent can choose which primary they wish to vote in. Arizona already had their primary on March 22nd. So be real, most people haven't been to Comicon and don't even HAVE 13 costumes. When youve been independent so long, it can be hard to change your mindset to incorporate others. Unlike W-2 employees, a 1099 independent contractor is responsible for his or her own taxes, retirement savings, and health insurance coverage. It resonates with me because, despite being independant to a fault, I feel that in many ways personal success is related to having the ability to be a part of a community, club or whatever. Just as an FYI, I live in Florida and we also have closed elections. Is voting worth trading your moral or ethical stance for? Want to read more content like this? If its all about you, you are the ceiling on the organization or on the investment. Being independent means you no longer have to explain away the crazies in your party, or explain rampant corruption, or sleazy behavior among party members. This article was written by Holly Epstein Ojalvo and originally appeared on Kicker. Here are some cons to working as an electrician: 1. A poor economy has pushed some unemployed or underemployed Americans towards self-employment. Right now, independents can certainly run, but they face a low likelihood of winning as they're labeled "spoilers" who will make it harder for the similar, mainstream candidate to win a race. Here are three different problems going on in 3 different states. I think its great that we learn to stand on ourown two feet. 2) No Paystubs (Though You Can Generate Your Own) And something I see a lot of is that when youve been used to doing things by yourself for a while, you start to develop your own habits and mechanisms for getting things done. I could hardly be an independent if I vote for one party always; I thought that context was pretty explicit, the question doesn't really make sense without the presumption that my vote won't effect presidential elections after all. (Des Moines Register.). Thus the only way to win the primaries is to be the most Democratic or Republican you can be; not to moderate your platform. For Democrats you don't have to choose moderate or liberal. For some, they will want to prophetically call out against the status quo orthe establishment'. Independent contractors are required to pay income taxes on the profits of their business and a self-employment tax (a required contribution to Social Security and Medicare). By the way, not everyone agrees that open primaries are better and fairer. But the best advice I can give is be engaged, know what you care about and vote as often as legal. As you get older, youre trying to find your footing in other areas, like friendships, education, dressing yourself. Some say their paperwork didn't get received and processed. Do you agree or disagree with any of the comments above? Its definitely a good thing to be able to take care of yourself. The problem with doing everything yourself is that you only have the resources and investment of one person to accomplish things. There is something inherently problematic about voting for a candidate that doesnt back policies you support, expresses behavior that you find inappropriate or undesirable and may not even support your existence solely because of the party they belong to. Another one that kind of plays on our pride a bit. 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