Why Donald Trump is happy a Colorado judge called him an insurrectionist
What happens when Trump's 2024 candidacy confronts the 14th Amendment?
Biden will visit Israel during a war. That’s unprecedented.
The humanitarian crisis and escalation fears heighten uncertainty.
How the next Congress could overturn House elections
If election deniers challenge losses, the new House majority will decide who gets seated. Here’s the history behind such challenges.
Biden’s broad marijuana pardon has precedents
In some ways, it looks like Jimmy Carter’s amnesty for Vietnam War draft dodgers
Here’s what persuades Americans to support democracy over party
Our new study tested 25 different approaches with both Republicans and Democrats. Here are three that made a difference.
Jan. 6 hearings show a democracy in crisis. Civic education can help.
Public education once trained young citizens to be part of democracy. Here’s what’s needed now.
The Supreme Court has more clerks and less work than 50 years ago
Did one of those clerks leak the draft abortion opinion?
Republicans want to break up Maricopa County, Jim Crow-style
After Reconstruction, state legislatures manipulated more than 1,300 county borders. That helped Southern white supremacists suppress and erase the Black vote, my research finds.
The Supreme Court’s vaccine mandate ruling shows it’s ready to second-guess government policy
For decades, the court deferred to the government’s judgment. Now it’s heading back to the Lochner era.
Some say the U.S. is headed toward civil war. History suggests something else.
A year after the Jan. 6 insurrection, political scientists largely agree that U.S. partisanship has become deeply toxic, even dangerous
The U.S. government hasn’t protected noncitizen veterans from deportation. That may change.
The U.S. military has a long history of relying on foreign recruits.
150 years ago, Frederick Douglass predicted the United States’ dilemma today
Douglass foresaw three possible paths for an irreconcilably divided U.S. Which will it take this time?
The Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery. Here’s what did.
Two states — Delaware and Kentucky — still allowed slavery until the 13th Amendment was ratified, six months after Juneteenth.
Juneteenth brings together many celebrations, and reminders of the work still ahead
For Black Americans, freedom is tied to location — not a date in June
Despite the pandemic, Americans are still optimists. That’s a powerful political force.
Our research found that American optimism improves civil society, increasing trust in one another and encouraging political involvement.
Memorial Day was political from the beginning. Here’s how the holiday was shaped by race and the Civil War.
The holiday was political at its founding and could be understood as political again
Mitch McConnell is wrong. Here’s the filibuster’s ‘racial history.’
From defending slavery to protecting segregation, the filibuster has been heavily used to block civil rights
Today’s election denialism and violence has a dark echo in the Jim Crow South
As in 1877, the U.S. has to decide whether it wants to be a multi-racial democracy
What you need to know about how many Americans condone political violence — and why
A type of ‘radical partisanship’ is far too common for comfort
A violent mob overran Congress. 3 takeaways for the weeks ahead.
Did American electoral institutions survive the stress test?
Big trends in American politics are making events like the U.S. Capitol violence more likely
Two of the trends: weaker parties and stronger presidents.
Why even diehard originalists aren’t really originalists
Consider “coverture,” a doctrine older than the Constitution, in which husbands controlled wives.
George Floyd’s killing is changing how some white evangelicals talk about race
Here’s the history to this shift.
Who thinks that Latinos shouldn’t be able to vote?
Here’s how our new study measured this under-acknowledged form of racism.
The politics of D.C. statehood follow a well-worn path. Here’s why.
Race also featured in past statehood debates
What persuades white Southerners to remove Confederate flags and monuments?
What doesn’t? Making an analogy to Germany’s ban on Nazi symbols.
Under the Insurrection Act of 1807, here’s what a U.S. president can and cannot do
Invoking this statute to deploy the U.S. military would raise constitutional questions
The Republican Party is white and Southern. How did that happen?
Its leaders made a decision to push out blacks. That helped it to dominate Southern politics.
What Nikki Haley gets wrong about the Confederate flag
It was the fight against civil rights that brought the flag back.
Both the Democrats and Republicans were once white majority parties. Now race divides them.
This creates challenges for racial diversity, but also opportunities.
Military service was once a fast track to U.S. citizenship. The Trump administration keeps narrowing that possibility.
And that’s hurting military readiness and effectiveness.
Republicans in Wisconsin and Michigan want to weaken incoming Democratic governors. Here’s what’s the usual partisan politics — and what isn’t.
Last week, lame-duck Republican state legislatures in Wisconsin and Michigan
The U.S. has brought home remains of its Korean War dead. It’ll be years before we know whose remains those are.
Editor's note: Michael Dolski is a historian with the Defense
Is democracy really in danger? The picture is not as dire as you think.
[caption id="attachment_69748" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Attendees gather in front of the
Why gerrymandering is going to get even worse
[caption id="attachment_72699" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Demonstrators rally with cutouts of congressional
Yes, Congress could give Trump a line-item veto. And it might want to.
President Trump signed the massive omnibus appropriations bill for fiscal
The census has always been political. Especially when it comes to race, ethnicity, and national origin.
[caption id="attachment_68907" align="aligncenter" width="960"] In 2015, activists hold signs during
Here are 4 ways the West Virginia teachers’ strike shows women’s power in politics
https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/national/teachers-celebrate-as-west-virginia-strike-comes-to-a-close/2018/03/06/df4fcd1c-218b-11e8-946c-9420060cb7bd_video.html When the West Virginia governor and legislature agreed last week to boost
Lots of Americans don’t think slavery caused the Civil War
[caption id="attachment_61567" align="aligncenter" width="960"] White House Chief of Staff John
For women’s equality day, here’s the key question: Was women’s suffrage a failure?
[caption id="attachment_45738" align="aligncenter" width="800"] League of Women Voters members in
The 4 key things you need to know about Trump’s proposed ban on transgender military service
President Trump made history Wednesday, July 17, 2017, in two
Here’s what you need to know about the presidential power to pardon
http://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/can-the-president-pardon-himself/2017/07/21/e1531082-6e3b-11e7-abbc-a53480672286_video.html Early Saturday morning, President Trump declared via tweet that
Some argue that the West should limit democracy to save liberalism. Here’s why they’re wrong.
[caption id="attachment_61040" align="alignnone" width="960"] Demonstrators gathered to protest Islamic law
Too many Americans know too little about the Constitution. Here’s how you can fix that.
One easy way to get a laugh on late-night TV
Trump raided Congress for his Cabinet, giving us four special elections. Will that hurt Republicans?
[caption id="attachment_59960" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Republican Karen Handel, left, and Democrat
The Confederate flag largely disappeared after the Civil War. The fight against civil rights brought it back.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/video/national/new-orleans-reacts-to-the-removal-of-confederate-statues/2017/05/11/2b3b9916-3684-11e7-ab03-aa29f656f13e_video.html Last week, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu oversaw the
People love to hate Congress. This new book reminds us why we should treasure it.
[caption id="attachment_57526" align="aligncenter" width="960"] The Capitol dome is illuminated before
Trump’s election is actually a return to normal racial politics. Here’s why.
[caption id="attachment_49668" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Supporters of President-elect Donald Trump cheer
Is the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau constitutional? The D.C. Circuit says no. Here’s why.
[caption id="attachment_48011" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) was the
The U.S. has more third-party candidates than it’s seen in a century. Why?
Third-party candidates have had a lot of buzz in the
How fallen service members, and their families, became politically sacred
[caption id="attachment_45091" align="aligncenter" width="960"] The honor guard prepares to fold
The complex life and death of Ken Saro-Wiwa
[caption id="attachment_44684" align="aligncenter" width="264"] Cover of Ken Saro-Wiwa, (Courtesy Ohio
Here’s what it means when politicians and pundits call Trump ‘dangerous’
[caption id="attachment_40205" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Donald Trump models a hard hat
Bernie Sanders thinks the Democratic primary process ‘distorts reality.’ Does history back this up?
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont recently said his
Does shielding the public from the costs of war actually affect attitudes about the war?
[caption id="attachment_38375" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Would Americans support foreign wars if
These two maps are incredibly revealing about who’s voting for Trump, and why.
[caption id="attachment_37191" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Supporters gather to see Donald Trump
Obama’s symbolic visit to Cuba is the exception. What’s the real history of presidents and international travel?
Historically, U.S. presidents and their secretaries of state did not travel.
Who should replace Scalia? No one. Here’s why eight is enough.
[caption id="attachment_36037" align="aligncenter" width="908"] The bench chair of the late
Should soldiers’ votes get counted? That’s not as easy as you’d think.
[caption id="attachment_32016" align="aligncenter" width="1484"] Members of the Army National Guard
This political scientist spent a year in prison. Here’s what he learned.
[caption id="attachment_31447" align="aligncenter" width="1484"] Barbed wire at Maryland Correctional Training
What happened to John Boehner hasn’t happened in a century. No one knows what comes next.
John A. Boehner’s resignation from the House, and thus the
This is what economists don’t understand about the euro crisis – or the U.S. dollar
[caption id="attachment_27649" align="alignnone" width="620" class="align center"] Riot police on fire
This is what economists don't understand about the euro crisis – or the U.S. dollar
[caption id="attachment_27649" align="alignnone" width="620" class="align center"] Riot police on fire
Southern white support for the Confederate flag reflects Southern heritage, not just racial hate
[caption id="attachment_27094" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] William Cheek, left, Nelson Waller, center,
White support for the Confederate flag really is about racism, not Southern heritage
[caption id="attachment_26806" align="alignnone" width="620" class="align center"] A handout photograph posted
Boehner’s dissidents: More historical context about speakership revolts
The opposition to the reelection of John Boehner by the
How ordinary petitions helped end slavery and make women into political activists
[caption id="attachment_15976" align="aligncenter" width="2217"] The Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society and
The fall of Atlanta and Lincoln’s reelection: 'Game-changer' or campaign myth?
[caption id="attachment_14837" align="aligncenter" width="454"] Gen. William T. Sherman among the
The fall of Atlanta and Lincoln’s reelection: ‘Game-changer’ or campaign myth?
[caption id="attachment_14837" align="aligncenter" width="454"] Gen. William T. Sherman among the
Schadenfreude in Gaza
[caption id="attachment_14960" align="alignnone" width="620"] Palestinian fighters of the Ezz Al-Din
Vergara vs. California: Are the top 0.1% buying their version of education reform?
On Tuesday, a California superior-court judge ruled that the state’s
How VA scandals have made the VA better
[caption id="attachment_10766" align="aligncenter" width="606" special=""] Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki
Polarization in Congress has risen sharply. Where is it going next?
Christopher Hare is a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at
Robert Dahl: Scholar, teacher, democrat and mensch
This reflection on the life and work of Robert A.
Our politics may be polarized. But that's nothing new.
David W. Brady is the Bowen H. and Janice Arthur
American politics is more competitive than ever. That's making partisanship worse.
[caption id="attachment_5011" align="aligncenter" width="1024" special=""] Then-Sen. Scott Brown
How today’s budget woes owe their debt to the financing of recent wars
This is a guest post by Gustavo Flores-Macías (Assistant Professor of
Can the president save Congress from itself?
[caption id="attachment_1394" align="aligncenter" width="284" special=""] Unicorn governance, on the way?(Biography.com)[/caption]
Has Germany reached a turning point? Whither the SPD and the arrival of political euroskepticism
[caption id="attachment_480" align="aligncenter" width="606" special=""] (Michael Sohn/Associated Press)[/caption] Continuing our
It’s possible indeed
"This":http://meganmcardle.com/2013/07/12/why-i-think-the-gop-will-have-control-in-2017/, from Megan McArdle: bq. My assertion that there’s a
Rolling a House majority, again
Kudos to the NYT's Derek Willis for catching the latest
Lincoln: Best film ever about …. The House of Representatives!
I suppose the competition isn't very stiff. (Even the rare
Could Conservatives Overthrow Boehner? What History Can Tell Us
This is a guest post by Jeffery A. Jenkins of
The Political Science of the Sherman Theory
A few days ago, Paul Krugman "speculated":http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/22/the-euro-is-flat/ on the similarities
Mascotology, Not Bracketology
This is a guest post from political scientist and mascotologist
The Euro and the American Civil War
As the eurozone crisis heats up yet again, Kate McNamara
The 14th Amendment has Five Sections
The potential intersection of the 14th amendment with the debt
Why don’t low-income whites love the Democrats?
_Unequal Democracy_ is one of the best books on American
The Real Great Depression
Forget about the Great Depression. Writing in the current issue