By David Cortright War in Iraq Twenty years ago this month, millions of people in Europe, the United States and on every continent took to the streets to oppose the dangers and likely human cost of invading Iraq. It was the largest antiwar movement in history. Former National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft warned that war... Continue Reading →
One Nonpartisan Judicial Election Will Determine the Path of Wisconsin Politics
By Barry Burden A Judicial Election In the cold days of winter, a perfect storm has formed in Wisconsin politics. The storm is turning what would be a humdrum nonpartisan judicial election into an intense ideological showdown that may well shape state policies for years to come. The chair of the state’s Democratic Party described... Continue Reading →
Sam Bankman-Fried Said He Exploited the Citizens United Decision. Oh boy, Did He Ever.
By Tiffany Muller Exploiting Citizens United Thirteen years ago, the Supreme Court handed down the Citizens United v. FEC decision, one of the most disastrous decisions in the Court’s history. The case took two bad ideas and combined them–the idea that money equals speech and corporations are people. The Court effectively put a for sale... Continue Reading →
The GOP Embraces Extreme Polarization
By Robert C. Lieberman A Profound Disappointment For anyone who thought that Donald Trump’s electoral defeat and subsequent humiliation would diminish the extreme polarization that afflicts American politics, the opening of the 118th Congress can only have been a pretty profound disappointment. For half a century or more in the middle and late twentieth century,... Continue Reading →
Robert Kagan Looks to American History to Explain Foreign Policy Today
Robert Kagan is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, a columnist at The Washington Post, and among the most influential writers on foreign policy today. His latest book is Ghost at the Feast: America and the Collapse of World Order, 1900-1941. Become a Patron! Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. We... Continue Reading →
Vote Yes for a Constitutional Convention (for Rhode Island)
By Kevin Frazier A State Constitutional Convention In less than two years, Rhode Island residents will have an opportunity to serve as the democratic innovators so desperately needed in these gridlocked times. Every ten years, a question is placed on Rhode Island ballots: “Shall there be a convention to amend or revise the Constitution?” The... Continue Reading →
Has Polarization Broken Partisanship?
By Justin Kempf Partisan Conflicts The never-ending votes for House Speaker have challenged common assumptions about American politics. Unlike the multi-party legislatures in other democracies, the American political system features two dominant political parties. This means leadership contests are almost always routine. Behind the scenes they might involve fierce conflicts, but those get resolved before... Continue Reading →
The Reality TV Presidency of Donald J. Trump
By María Isabel Puerta Riera A massive fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, & articles, even those found in the Constitution. Donald J. Trump, December 3, 2022 The Age of Reality TV in the White House The arrival of Donald J. Trump to the White House was... Continue Reading →
A Pre-Post-Mortem of the 2022 Election
By María Isabel Puerta Riera The 2022 Election As we entered the final weeks of the 2022 midterm elections, the landscape was promising for Republicans. The expectation of a red wave grew with the help of pundits and pollsters building on the long-running theme of the Democrats in disarray. The sense of dread increased with the anticipation of... Continue Reading →
How Ballot Access Laws Undermine Democracy in America
By Justin Kempf Are You Even on the Ballot? In 1994 the Libertarian Secretary of State Candidate, Steve Dillon, won 2.17% of the vote. It was a watershed moment for the Libertarian Party in Indiana. Most states make it difficult for minor political parties to even appear on a ballot in an election. Indiana's laws... Continue Reading →