Majority Rule, Plurality Rule, and Minority Rule

Definitions are fun, right?

Minority Rule

The problem is real.

Thoughts on the Breonna Taylor Case and Beyond

Considering Breonna Taylor’s death, police shootings, and human rights.

President Donald J. Trump disembarks Marine One at Joint Base Andrews, Md. Friday, Sept. 18, 2020, and is escorted to Air Force One by U.S. Air Force personnel. (Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour) President Donald J. Trump disembarks Marine One at Joint Base Andrews, Md. Friday, Sept. 18, 2020, and is escorted to Air Force One by U.S. Air Force personnel. (Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour)

Trump On ‘Peaceful Transition’

Whether the delusions of a madman or a deliberate scheme to poison the waters, there’s cause for concern.

More On Expanding The Supreme Court

It’s time to accept the desecration of our political constitution.

Puerto Rican Statehood Possibilities

Statehood is on the ballot this November.

Why I am Where I am on Reform

More on SCOTUS expansion and other issues.

A Defense of Expanding the US Supreme Court

It is about finding ways to combat minority rule.

Ginsburg, Garland, and Court Packing

Two related discussions.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 1933-2020

The iconic Supreme Court justice has died at the age of 87.

politics outrage shouting politics outrage shouting

All’s Fair, Even if It’s Unfair?

A defense of the indefensible.

How the Electoral College Perverts Democratic Politics

Thinking about wildfires and electoral politics.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Delays Absentee Ballots

A party-line vote may scuttle mail-in voting in a crucial swing state.

More on the Absurdity of the Electoral College

A game wherein one team has to score more points to win than does the other.

Electoral Integrity Concerns, Real and Imagined

What is more concerning, speculation and war games, or the words of POTUS?

Thinking About an EC/Popular Vote Inversion

Our screwy electoral system requires thinking about screwy scenarios.

Andrew Sullivan’s Complicated Legacy

The one-time wunderkind, blogging pioneer, and same-sex marriage champion is now on the outs.

DNI Refusing to Brief Congress on Election Security

Yet more flouting of the rule of law by the Trump administration.

The Mundanity of Authoritarianism

Some recommended reading.

Obama’s DNC Speech

An appeal to some pretty basic virtues.

Democrats Kick Off Virtual Convention

The official campaign to oust Donald Trump is off to a good start.

Political Culture Eats Institutions For Lunch

Institutional reform is necessary, but we can’t accomplish much in the face of tribalism.

Giving the Framers a Break

The American political system is broken but it’s not fair to blame that on its architects.

The Consequences of Design

The convergence of design flaws in the constitution and a flawed leader have brought us to brink of an electoral crisis.

The Business of the News is Business

“We are a cancer and there is no cure,”

Some Funerals Are More Equal than Others

The rules are different if you’re famous.

Trump Muses on Twitter about Delaying the Election

Trump’s irresponsibility continues.

Casinos Open, Churches Closed

A bizarre but possibly correct ruling by the Supreme Court.

Federal Agents Using Strong-Arm Tactics in America’s Cities

Portland may be a preview of what’s to come.

The Ridiculousness of Life Appointments

Another way in which the Framer’s really didn’t understand what they were creating.

Reaction to Letter on Justice and Open Debate Proves its Point

Free speech is not for everyone.

Why Republicans like the Filibuster

It creates a veto gate that they are almost guaranteed to control when they need it.

‘COVID Parties’ are Bullshit

Some incredibly thin reporting about a story that is almost certainly made up.

Interpreting Interpretation

A too-long discourse on how courts should function.

Book Recommendation

Lee Drutman’s Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop

Cancel Cancel Culture

The state of American debate is not strong.

After the Protests: What Then?

How to translate understandable frustration at injustice into tangible reform?

Thinking about the Injustice that Feeds the Flame

The evidence is clear. Injustice feeds rage and rage sometimes boils over.

Trump vs Biden on the Protests

The contrast could not be more clear.

What the Oregon Senate Primary Tells us about our Party System

This is more about structural conditions than it is about the GOP.

Is Partisanship a “What” or a “Why”?

The conversation continues. (Warning: it is over 3000 words).

Another Blow to Accountability in Government

Trump fires another Inspector General.

Are Electors Free to Choose?

SCOTUS and “faithless electors.”

Biden and Tara Reade

These are serious allegations.

Obama the Elder Statesman

The 58-year-old may have a post-presidency unmatched in history.

Virginia’s Stunning Transformation

A disgraced governor is signing a wave of progressive legislation

Wisconsin Voting Results Won’t Be Known for a Week

An irrelevant judicial order is being enforced for no apparent reason.

Pressuring Venezuela?

In recent weeks the US has ramped-up pressure on Maduro.

Hungary Goes Full Authoritarian

Orban has used Covid-19 to kill whatever vestiges of democracy remained.