Anarchy in France

The rioting never seems to stop.

Trump, Hamilton, and the Electoral College

Don’t blame the primary author of The Federalist for our current mess.

Tucker Carlson’s Depressing Realization

The fired propagandist has had an epiphany about bullshit.

The Perfect President

What Americans say they want in the Oval Office.

On Spurious Majorities and Other Thoughts on Electoral System Critiques

Because sometimes the comment box is just too small.

No Room for Palin in Party She Remade?

What to make of her second straight loss?

Crystal Ball Final 2022 Ratings

Describe the sound made when a sheep explodes.

Feelings Don’t Care About Facts

“America can survive the demagogues themselves, it’s their audience that will kill us.”

The Latest Example of the Nonhierarchical Nature of US Parties

A minor story that illustrates a far bigger problem in our politics.

Two Nations, Indivisible

We’re an incredibly divided country but splitting it into two is impossible.

Smart Designers Create Imperfect Rules

Even the smartest designers can’t anticipate all the flaws with the rules they write.

CDC Shakeup Presaged Mask Order

The politics of science comes full circle.

United States Less Democratic Than it Used to Be

Multiple indicators point to a decline in the representativeness of the American system.

The Terrorist In The Mirror

There’s a word for people who use outrageous violence to terrorize.

The end of the line

We’ve shouldn’t be surprised we’ve arrived at this destination.

Five Weeks Out

Joe Biden’s chances remain extraordinarily good.

More On Expanding The Supreme Court

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

Culture and Institutions, Part 1

A partial response in the context of a complex topic.

Political Culture Eats Institutions For Lunch

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

A Post-Trump Republican Party

What would a reborn GOP look like and who would vote for it?

Stupidity Was The Other Plague We Mismanaged

Having failed to prevent or contain it, aggressive stupidity is now washing over us.

Why are Masks Political?

Leadership matters (as does culture).

The End of China’s Growth?

Or just a bump in the road?

The Dementia Election

Maybe it’s time to stop joking about senile politicians and do something about the issue.

Lessons For The U.S. In The British Elections?

What lessons are there for the United States in general, and Democrats in particular, in last weeks British election?

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No, Medicare-for-All Wouldn’t Be a Tax Cut

We shouldn’t need bad arguments to sell good policies.

Smashing the Republican Party

Let’s not kid ourselves about what’s possible in the next election.

A Fourth of July Thought

Ideas, not tanks.

The Cautionary Tale of Vermont’s Failed Single-Payer System

Despite seemingly ideal conditions, Green Mountain Care was an absolute debacle.

Sanders Takes Campaign-Killing Position on Felon Voting

Sanders’ position on felon voting is logical, yet politically suicidal.

Voters Voting Voters Voting

On Democratic Responsiveness

A lesson from Puerto Rico and further reasons why the EC is a problem.

Voters Voting Voters Voting

Why Two Parties?

Some basics on the US party system.

Is Joe Biden Out Of Step In An Increasingly Hyperpartisan America?

In what was basically a throwaway line, Joe Biden said something nice about Mike Pence. The reaction from his fellow Democrats says a lot about our current political culture, and none of it is good.

MAGA Student Confronting Native American Veteran Story Fake News?

The longer video and deeper investigation of the incident reveals a very different story.

Temper Tantrums Abound As Shutdown Continues

As the government shutdown continues, Washington is coming to resemble a fight between toddlers. Except the toddlers have the excuse of not knowing any better.

Will The Last Republican In New England Please Turn Out The Lights?

Another part of the country that was once a Republican stronghold is now almost completely blue.

Birthright Citizenship Isn’t Just The Law, It’s A Good Idea Too

In addition to being mandated by the Constitution, birthright citizenship goes to the core of what it means to be an American.

Memetic Warfare and Stochaistic Terrorism

America’s tradition of unlimited free expression increases the danger of violence.

Newt Gingrich: Trump Is Right To Call The Press The “Enemy Of The People”

Newt Gingrich has endorsed President Trump’s use of the rhetoric of Josef Stalin to attack the American news media.

Supreme Court Opens New Term A Justice Short

For the second time in two years, the Supreme Court starts a new term down one Justice. That isn’t as big a problem as it might seem.

What The Gosar Family Tells Us About Our Broken Political Culture

Six siblings of Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar are starring in political ads against him. This is just another unfortunate example of the extent to which our political culture has been ruined by hyperpartisan polarization.

Washington Bids Farewell To John McCain

Washington said farewell to John McCain today in a service that both remembered his spirit and his heroism, and stands as a sharp rebuke to what politics has been reduced to in America today.

Joe Biden, John McCain, And The State Of American Politics

Former Vice-President Biden’s eulogy for his friend John McCain is a lesson in what has gone wrong with American politics.

Have Democrats Moved Too Far to the Center?

Has the party paid too big a price to attract suburban voters?

The Presidency Of Exhaustion

More than a decade ago, Donald Trump revealed one of his secrets to success. Exhaust your enemies. It explains much of what has happened since he took office.

White House Correspondents Dinner Once Again Demonstrates Why It Shouldn’t Exist

As has often been the case, the White House Correspondent’s Dinner is arousing some degree of controversy, mostly because of the comedy or lack thereof.

Trump Will Skip White House Correspondents Association Dinner Again

President Trump won’t attend nerd prom again this year. That’s a good thing.

Donald Trump’s Own Appointees Are Telling World Leaders To Ignore His Tweets

President Trump’s tweets, other public statements, and actions are causing world leaders to doubt the reliability of the United States on the world stage.

Hyperpartisanship Continues To Ruin Our Political Culture And Our Country, And We’re Letting It Happen

The tragedy in Florida last week revealed once again how hyperpartisanship is destroying our politics and harming the country.