Jacob Heilbrunn The Hawks Ascending Russia’s war on Ukraine has opened up a new front in Washington’s foreign policy elite, mobilizing veterans of the cold war and Iraq. Especially on the right, a fierce fight is in prospect. March 14, 2022
Gary Gerstle When Americans Liked Taxes The US idea of liberty has often seemed to mean freedom from government and its spending. But there is an alternate history, one just as foundational and defining. February 23, 2022
Pamela Druckerman An Impromptu Experiment in Social Democracy I hadn’t planned on joining my mother’s Icelandic excursion. But when she broke her hip and I had to, I thought we might both learn from the public health-care experience. February 1, 2022
Lawrence Lessig Why the US Is a Failed Democratic State The self-governing republic works only if it expresses the will of the majority. But one party is now committed to minoritarian rule by any means. December 10, 2021
Claudia Dreifus interviews Marc Elias ‘Democracy Is at Stake’ The expert elections lawyer knocked down scores of pro-Trump lawsuits challenging the 2020 results. Now, he says, we’re in a struggle to save the republic. June 1, 2021
Maeve Higgins Biden and the Border Security-Industrial Complex Successive administrations have poured money into the business of militarizing immigration control—and lobbyists have returned the favors. Will this president stop the juggernaut? March 2, 2021
Richard Kreitner Secessionist Talk Is Serious Disunion is hardly a new theme in American politics. In this moment of tumult, it would be unwise to rule out its return. January 19, 2021
Walter M. Shaub Jr. The Presidential Transition Meets Murphy’s Law One senior official is charged with ensuring a peaceful transfer of power when there is an apparent election winner. The Trump appointee is jeopardizing all that. November 13, 2020
Samuel Moyn How Trump Won He failed as an autocrat, despite opponents’ overblown fears, but succeeded in breaking the neoliberal consensus of the Beltway. We ignore that at our peril. November 9, 2020
Jennifer Cohn Is the Election Safe from Hacking? The vulnerabilities are real. But so are the things citizens can do to help safeguard their votes. October 31, 2020