Outside the Beltway

The Electoral College doesn’t matter in the way pundits think it does.

My latest for The Atlantic: “For Europe, Some Fear a Conflict Between Union and Democracy”

Herman Cain’s promise to rely on “experts” should raise eyebrows everywhere.

Are America’s political parties become irrelevant?

It’s the 5% versus the 1% moreso than the 99% against the 1%.

For the most part, all those plans the candidates release are barely worth the paper they’re written on.

If you are taking 9-9-9 seriously, then you don’t understand the way the US government works. Herman Cain, I am looking at you.

Do we place too much importance on performance in presidential debates?

President Obama’s surprise announcement Friday that all U.S. forces would leave Iraq in time to be home for the holidays has been roundly condemned. While there are real concerns about what happens next, there was no better alternative.

Yes, again with the EC.

Cain (like a lot of people) is confused about what the words “conservative” and “liberal” mean.

There’s no consensus for European-style social democracy or a Randian libertarian paradise.

Have Republicans been co-opted by the Big Government they claim to hate?

Protests at least loosely affiliated with the Occupy Wall Street movement were conducted around the globe yesterday.

Not surprisingly, the “Super Committee” to deal with the deficit isn’t making much progress.

With the advantage of hindsight, it’s clear that more creative strategies were needed. But they probably couldn’t have been passed.

My latest for The Atlantic, “Romney’s Realist Foreign Policy Is a Lot Like Obama’s,” has been posted.

Ahead of his big foreign policy speech, Mitt Romney has unveiled his “Foreign Policy and National Security Advisory Team” which “will assist Governor Romney as he presents his vision for restoring American leadership in the world and securing our enduring interests and ideals abroad.”

Elizabeth Warren has a deeply flawed view of our social contract.

The Occupy Wall Street protests look more like a temper tantrum than a substantive protest movement.

Where should we look to understand the failings of the government?

Is money the only thing that matters in post-Citizens United American politics?

Judging them by their own manifesto, the Occupy Wall Street protesters are pretty silly people.

A meme is emerging that the Occupy Wall Street protests are America’s version of the Arab Awakening. That meme must die.

Last night’s speech at the Reagan Library did nothing to stop people from speculating about Chris Christie’s Presidential plans.

Like clockwork, the arguments for creation of a third party are popping up again.

When the old rules don’t apply anymore, the system breaks down.

Does America have a social contract? If so, is it broken?

President Obama explained his position on the Palestinian statehood resolution today, but one wonders if anyone listened.

Rick Perry’s speech criticizing the President’s policies in the Middle East raised more questions than it answered.

Far from being an existential crisis, the recent rise in public distrust in government is easily explained.

A book could be written on this subject, but let me suggest the following as a good place to start

Of the institutions designed by the Framers, the electoral college is the one that deserves the least amount of defense if one’s defense is predicated on assumptions of the genius of said framers.

Why even have an electoral college?

Allocating Electoral Votes by Congressional District is an idea whose time has come.

Republicans have a plan to wrest half of the Keystone State’s electors from Obama.

Oz provides an excuse for some comparative politics.

Madison argued that the people were the ultimate authority.

No matter how weak he becomes, no President will ever be completely irrelevant to the political process.

Many seem to forget that it was the states that had to ratify the 17th Amendment.

Let’s see if there is evidence to support the assertion.