Outside the Beltway

What walking around knowledge about our political system is necessary to be an informed citizen?

The takeover of academic IR study by the stats geeks is complete.

Solutions come from understanding, not denial or political posturing

The Etch A Sketch meme isn’t nearly as powerful as those pushing it believe it to be.

Rising fuel prices are starting to hurt the President in the polls, but it’s unclear what that means for November.

Carrol LeFon, better known on the Internet as Neptunus Lex, one of the original milbloggers, has been killed in a fighter jet crash.

A man who has three degrees from three public universities considers the President of the United States a “snob.”

Why should lying about having served in combat or been awarded a medal for valor should be legally different from lying about athletic prowess in high school, the number of sexual partners you’ve had, or the size of one’s sex organs?

The NYT has an interesting piece on the ongoing limted v. big governemnt debate.

Yes, the US Constitution has been the most successful such document in human history. That does not mean it is a good template for other countries.

Is the presumptive Republican nominee too handsome, too rich, and too pompous to win the hearts of ordinary Americans?

Republican candidates have reached out to Tim Tebow for an endorsement. Desperation?

Jon Huntsman put on a brave face last night, but he’s really got nowhere to go from here.

The Republican candidates for President have apparently forgotten that this guy was their party’s nominee twice.

Herman Cain’s initial response to the allegations made yesterday leaves much to be desired.

Is public dissatisfaction with Obama also a cry for a conservative revolution?

Contrary to popular belief, college athletes graduate at a much higher rate than other students.

Byron York argues that the lesson of Rick Perry’s candidacy is “Think before you run.”

Some actual political science suggests that being an overweight male candidate may not be a negative for voters.

Why talk to boring experts when you can, instead, air some more bickering?

Time for the spinning of the straw poll results to begin.

A political science-y response to the question of whether the system is broken.

The primary calendar is going to look very different next year.

Texas Governor Rick Perry got lousy grades as an undergrad at Texas A&M. Does it matter?

Does it matter which candidate the GOP nominates?

The job approval numbers for Congress are at historic lows, but will that matter in 2012?

International options with respect to Syria are limited and likely to have little impact on the governments treatment of civilians.

The draft ended in 1973. It’s effects still linger today.

A retiree with some rather strange views hosted a Tim Pawlenty event.

Do ideologically radical professors impose their biases on their students?

Texas A&M professor finds serious flaws in college faculty productivity study.

Your major matters. But not as much as simply having a degree.

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

In colleges with non-selective or open admissions policies, having large numbers of F’s in introductory courses is the norm.

More on the whole “republic not a democracy” discussion.

Despite recent obsession with him, Saul Alinsky’s work has not garnered much attention from political scientists.

Wall Street says raise the debt ceiling. The Tea Party says no. What will the GOP do?

Once again, an American President thinks he can bring peace to the Middle East.