What happens to democracy when citizens stop reading difficult arguments and demand that every idea fit into a meme, video, or slogan? The problem may be bigger than our shrinking attention spans.
The Attention Span That Ate the Republic
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The Dirtbag, the Hawkeye, and the Great Republican Escape from Reality
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A Senate accusation against former Special Counsel Jack Smith appeared to confuse the Atlanta Hawks with the Iowa Hawkeyes. Behind the absurdity lies a more serious question about evidence, accountability, and political theater.
Social Democracy: Raising the Floor
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Social democracy is often portrayed as an attempt to restrain wealth or punish success. Its central argument is different: don't lower the ceiling on prosperity, raise the economic floor beneath everyone.
The Convert Who Never Believed
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The religious right says abortion awakened evangelical politics after Roe v. Wade. But Paul Weyrich, one of the movement’s chief architects, told a very different story about how the coalition began.
The Cheerleaders of Catastrophe: What Trump Has Unleashed
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What happens when political loyalty overwhelms conscience? From rhetoric about American cities to violence against a protester demanding the Epstein files, this essay examines the moral consequences of politics built around allegiance to a leader.
Loyalty Over Competence: The Trump Administration’s Revolving Door of Mediocrity
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Katie Zacharia's appointment as White House press secretary raises questions about professional qualifications, political loyalty, and accountability. What should matter most when choosing people to serve in government?
The Trials That Weren’t
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Two grand juries voted to indict Donald Trump in separate federal cases. Neither case ever reached a trial jury. How did forty-four criminal counts disappear without the evidence being tested at trial?
The Save America Act That Saves Nothing
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The Save America Act promises to protect American elections. But if noncitizen voting is already prohibited, what problem is the legislation actually solving, and at what cost to eligible voters?
The Art of the Con: The Denmark Way
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Did America secure something fundamentally new in Greenland, or expand an arrangement that has existed for generations? This essay examines the new U.S.–Denmark–Greenland security agreement, the 1951 defense pact, NATO, sovereignty, and the difference between political victory and diplomatic reality.
When the Press Becomes the Enemy
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What happens when political leaders stop challenging unfavorable reporting and begin challenging journalists' legitimacy? This essay examines the White House press-access dispute through the history of authoritarian attacks on independent journalism.