Politics
Our Machiavellian Moment
Much maligned as a mere tactician of power, Machiavelli was in fact a philosopher of the people.
The False Promise of Obama’s “Promised Land”
In his memoir, the former president makes clear he had no intention of being a savior.
What We Still Get Wrong About Alexander Hamilton
Far from a partisan for free markets, the Founding Father insisted on the need for economic planning. We need more of that vision today.
How to Fix the Climate
Diplomacy isn’t enough. To decarbonize the economy, we must integrate bottom-up, local experimentation with top-down, global cooperation.
Against Returning to Normal
Joe Biden positioned himself as the “return to normalcy” candidate. But normalcy is not something we can afford—we must actively resist it.
Biden Must Put Democracy First
Unless we bolster its foundations, our enfeebled democracy won’t be able to solve any of the daunting problems Biden has singled out as priorities.
I Don’t Have to Forgive Joe Biden
We should condemn the president-elect’s record on race, but that does not foreclose hope for his administration.
How to Fix the Climate
Biden should rejoin the Paris Agreement, but diplomacy isn’t enough. To decarbonize the economy, we must integrate bottom-up, local experimentation with top-down, global cooperation.
Bolsonaro’s War Against Reason
The Brazilian president’s offensive against universities threatens democracy and recalls the dark years of the country’s dictatorship.
Democracy Hangs in the Balance
Part two of a conversation on voter turnout, vote counting, and what we can expect now.
From the Editor: Thinking in a Pandemic
COVID-19 is not just a public health crisis. It is also a crisis of public reason.
In Defense of Politics
The only antidote to despair over national politics will be to generate and expand new solutions at local, state, and regional levels.
COVID-19 Provides All the More Reason to Tax the Rich
Tax policies like New Jersey’s new Millionaires Tax are essential—not only for an equitable recovery, but also for reining in pre-pandemic inequality.
When Democracy Ails, Magic Thrives
West German witchcraft trials after World War II reveal how political rupture can fuel magical thinking.
The Long Shadow of Racial Fascism
A debate is roiling about the aptness of comparing Trump to European fascists. But radical Black thinkers have long argued that racial slavery created its own unique form of American fascism.
Our Undemocratic Constitution
Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation is a sham, but it is one the Constitution allows. There’s only one way out of this crisis: we must amend.
The Real Reason the GOP Suppresses the Vote
The party’s fifty-year strategy has reached an electoral dead end.
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