Outside the Beltway

The Internet is public and forever. But maybe it shouldn’t be.

The people who gave us the “war on Christmas” are now touting an upsurge on black-on-white crime.

White babies now constitute slightly less than half of American births.

The Wall Street Journal publishes a screed aimed at those about to graduate college.

If we taught the Federalist Papers more rigorously would that lead to a shared view of the constitution?

Our psychological and cultural biases make evaluating information and arguments rationally next to impossible.

OTB’s comment section as a microcosm of the American political landscape.

Should you lie to your kids about holiday fantasy characters?

A new book would classify most of us who consume alcohol as “almost alcoholics.”

The student-athlete fairytale is true. Except where you would reasonably expect it to be a lie.

Solutions come from understanding, not denial or political posturing

George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin met on the night of February 27th. Martin died, and a firestorm has erupted.

Is it fair to single out the most powerful man in radio’s commentary for attention?

2012 may be the last chance for the current Republican Party to win the White House.

The military promotion system does not reward top performers rapidly enough.

My wife, Kimberly Webb Joyner, died this morning in her sleep from unknown causes. She was 41.

Why we shouldn’t be surprised that police are using tools of violence against protestors.

Michael Ellsberg argues that “Trying to Learn Clear Writing in College is Like Trying to Learn Sobriety in a Bar.”

A dwindling proportion of students are majoring in STEM fields. They’re likely making the wise choice.

President Obama is proposing a special tax rate for millionaires.

Schools of education attract the weakest students and give out the highest grades on campus.

A new study finds that college tuition costs could be cut in half if lazy professors got off their butts.

Cynthia Tucker regrets her support for majority-minority districts.

Prisons can be so overcrowded as to constitute cruel and inhuman punishment.

The duty to defend “hateful, extremely disrespectful, and enormously intolerant” expression.

Can a candidate appealing enough to the base to win the Republican nomination beat Obama?

The relationships between inflammatory rhetoric and political violence is complicated.

The American military personnel system works against keeping the best and brightest officers in the service.

Civilian control of the military means, oddly, that civilians control the military. And it means precisely that the military does not get to decide which civilians run the country.

Free parking is a very inefficient use of land resources that wouldn’t exist without government mandates and subsidies. Is it time to end the practice?

Conservatives have long complained about liberal media bias. But conservative media seems to be much worse.

Markos Moulitsas gets a lesson in caveat emptor from his former pollster.

Having long since gotten rid of rum and the lash, I suppose this day was inevitable.

America may be the land of opportunity but it helps to have a head start in the rat race.

It’s been three decades since Ronald Reagan was elected and both America and the Republican Party have changed.