‘Great power competition’ is a dangerous narrative for U.S. foreign policy
We need a more nuanced approach.
Supply chains endanger American security. Here’s what Biden is doing.
China controls many goods and materials that are critical for the U.S.
Congress finally passed a federal anti-lynching bill — after 120 years of failure
For decades, a small, intensely committed Senate minority was able to use Senate rules to block change and maintain the Jim Crow system in the South
Americans’ respect for the Supreme Court has dipped. That might affect the justices’ decisions this term.
How will they approach one of the most controversial terms in years?
Fear of ‘terrorism’ shaped U.S. foreign policy after 9/11. Will the U.S. make China the next big obsession?
An overarching narrative can lead to fewer foreign policy choices.
We compared the Supreme Court with other democracies’ high courts. More justices would improve its work.
More justices could produce more opinions — and improve consistency in U.S. law.
Bill Clinton said he was ending big government. Biden wants to bring it back.
Five takeaways from Biden’s speech on his first 99 (or 98?) days in office.
There would probably be more yawns than outrage if Biden expanded the Supreme Court
In a partisan era, public opinion on court size shifts with the political context
Biden is considering overhauling the Supreme Court. That’s happened during every crisis in U.S. democracy.
During six major crises in U.S. history, debates over reshaping the court were linked to debates over whether democracy could survive
Biden’s pandemic rescue plan may help get White people to trust the government. People like benefits they can see.
Delivering benefits through tax policy hides them from view.
Biden will have more women in his Cabinet than any president ever. Other countries still do better.
Most cabinets have a “concrete floor” for gender representation, and rarely go lower. Will Biden raise that floor in the U.S.?
History tells us there are four key threats to U.S. democracy
American democracy is in crisis, but not for the first time
The Supreme Court just took aim at Congress’s ability to protect federal agencies from partisan politics
The conservative legal community has been playing a long game aimed at overturning New Deal decisions.
In some states, unemployment checks are much smaller than in others. Here’s why.
Some states replaced about two-thirds of lost income; one replaced only 17 percent. The Cares Act shook all that up.
Trump attacked the Supreme Court again. Here are 4 things to know.
Previous presidents treated the court quite differently — even when they attacked its decisions.
Trump overrode the Navy’s plans to discipline a SEAL. That wasn’t as troubling as some think.
Firing a civilian Navy secretary – not a career military officer – averted a potential crisis.
U.S. ambassadorships are destination tourism for the mega-rich
Want to be ambassador in Tokyo, Paris or Rome? You’ll need deep pockets and friends in high places.
Republicans say that Trump’s quid pro quos were normal. Here’s why they’re wrong.
The body of existing testimony shows how Trump has crossed the line
Is the impeachment inquiry really ‘unconstitutional’?
There’s a long history of White House lawyers saying what the boss wants to hear.
A Shell plant coerced workers into attending a Trump rally. Here’s what that means for democracy.
That’s the first report of corporate coercion in a century.
When Americans get good government service, they mistakenly give the credit to the private sector.
U.S. citizens’ distrust of government isn’t always rational.
The League of Nations — the U.N.’s predecessor — was born 100 years ago this month
It’s hard to imagine the U.N., and much of today’s international order, without it.
These two arguments make Americans less opposed to court packing
Putting more justices on the Supreme Court might not backfire as spectacularly as many expect.
Why Congress’s rebuke of Trump’s emergency declaration matters — despite the president’s veto
A short history of presidential vetoes and Congress’s attempts to override them.
Will a new White House chief of staff matter? Not unless Trump wants change.
[caption id="attachment_81464" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Nick Ayers, left, chief of staff
Five things to know about ‘false flag’ conspiracy theories
[caption id="attachment_79463" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Police with a bomb-sniffing dog work
What’s most shocking about the ‘resistance’ op-ed? How personal the attacks are.
It turns out that studying the workings of the presidency
This 1950 political science report keeps popping up in the news. Here’s the story behind it.
[caption id="attachment_76024" align="aligncenter" width="960"] President Harry S. Truman drops his
Trump is not the only one who calls opponents ‘animals.’ Democrats and Republicans do it to each other.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/trump-compares-illegal-immigrants-to-animals/2018/05/16/3442ddf2-5948-11e8-9889-07bcc1327f4b_video.html President Trump’s comments during a roundtable on California’s “sanctuary” law have
Why has Trump been threatening to attack Syria? (Hint: It’s probably not about Syria.)
[caption id="attachment_72221" align="aligncenter" width="960"] President Trump at a news conference
Why John Kelly struggles so much as Trump’s chief of staff
[caption id="attachment_61753" align="aligncenter" width="960"] White House Chief of Staff John
Cornel West accused Ta-Nehisi Coates of being a neoliberal. Does neoliberal still mean anything?
[caption id="attachment_68378" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Philosophy professor Cornel West speaks at
Candidate Trump attacked Obama’s executive orders. President Trump loves executive orders.
As he campaigned for the presidency, Donald Trump argued that
Unlike Trump, most presidents emphasize our common ideals
[caption id="attachment_62808" align="aligncenter" width="960"] President Trump answers questions about his
These are the three reasons fascism spread in 1930s America — and might spread again today
[caption id="attachment_62324" align="aligncenter" width="960"] White nationalists clash with counterprotesters at
Most Americans opposed integrating the military in 1948. Most Americans support transgender military service today.
Last week, President Trump announced via Twitter that, after “consultation
Everyone agrees that McCain is a hero. That’s exceptional in our era.
[caption id="attachment_61334" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) arrives at
Why can’t the Senate repeal Obamacare? Because its policies are actually popular.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/senate-health-care-bill-collapses-under-opposition/2017/07/18/3617584c-6bd7-11e7-abbc-a53480672286_video.html After seven years of promising to repeal Obamacare, Republicans
Trump opponents have rediscovered the 25th Amendment. Here is what you should know about it.
[caption id="attachment_59230" align="aligncenter" width="960"] (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)[/caption] Donald Trump’s
When Trump signs bills into law, he objects to scores of provisions. Here’s what that means.
[caption id="attachment_57675" align="alignleft" width="960"] President Trump speaks at Mar-a-Lago in
This is why Richard Nixon taped his White House conversations
[caption id="attachment_58320" align="aligncenter" width="960"] President Trump listens during a news
Trump seems happy to meet with authoritarians. How does this compare with other presidents?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/trump-on-controversial-world-leaders/2017/05/03/45041e26-3022-11e7-a335-fa0ae1940305_video.html President Trump recently said he “would be honored” to
Trump may have the ‘most executive orders’ since Truman. But what did they accomplish?
[caption id="attachment_57345" align="alignleft" width="1024"] In a 1979 internal memo, OMB
Two factors help a president get a lot done in 100 days. Trump has only one.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/the-first-100-days/2017/04/27/84533bc2-2b48-11e7-9081-f5405f56d3e4_video.html In early 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt launched the now-famous
This is why Trump’s legislative agenda is stuck in neutral
[caption id="attachment_57242" align="alignleft" width="960"] The U.S. Capitol. (John Kelly/The Washington
This is why the first 100 days is a ‘ridiculous standard’ for judging presidents
http://www.washingtonpost.com/video/editorial/by-the-numbers-trumps-first-100-days/2017/04/24/2e8b42bc-26b5-11e7-928e-3624539060e8_video.html President Trump, who has yet to pass any major
Trump wants to reorganize the executive branch. Good luck with that.
[caption id="attachment_55439" align="aligncenter" width="960"] President Trump talks before signing an
Many Americans support Trump’s immigration order. Many Americans backed Japanese internment camps, too.
[caption id="attachment_53485" align="aligncenter" width="960"] People gathered in downtown Dallas on
Trump pledged to reverse Obama’s executive orders. Here’s how well past presidents have fulfilled that pledge.
[caption id="attachment_52847" align="aligncenter" width="960"] President Trump hands Chief of Staff
Trump’s proposed administration isn’t ideologically diverse. That can be dangerous.
[caption id="attachment_42060" align="aligncenter" width="1484"] (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)[/caption] Should Americans
Trump wants to impose a whopping 35% tariff on businesses that move jobs overseas. This is why.
Donald Trump has just announced via Twitter that he wants
It’s always hard to win as the heir of a popular president. Clinton is in very good company.
[caption id="attachment_49465" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Hillary Clinton concedes the presidential
Want to know if the Trump administration will lurch into radicalism? Don’t look at Trump.
[caption id="attachment_50222" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Campaign Against Racism and Fascism (CARF)
There are three rules of Cabinet appointments. Will Donald Trump break them?
[caption id="attachment_50107" align="aligncenter" width="960"] President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect
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
Sure, the U.S. and Russia often meddle in foreign elections. Does it matter?
[caption id="attachment_45923" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A voter wears an "I voted"
The Democrats are surprisingly unified. That should help Hillary Clinton.
[caption id="attachment_44902" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton reacts
Do U.S. voters prefer optimistic politicians? Here’s what we found.
[caption id="attachment_44751" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton reacts as
Mitch McConnell said you don’t need experience to be president
Here's why he's wrong.
These 2 trends are what produced such a negative Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention in July 2016 received mostly negative
How the vice president became a powerful and influential White House player
[caption id="attachment_43886" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump points
51 U.S. diplomats criticized U.S. policy on Syria. Will their dissent make a difference?
[caption id="attachment_42695" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A Syrian girl skips rope near
No, White House lawyers would not prevent a President Trump from overstepping his constitutional bounds
[caption id="attachment_42060" align="aligncenter" width="1484"] (Haraz N. Ghanbari/AP)[/caption] A recent New
Will Trump’s anti-Latino statements hurt the GOP? Here’s what we can learn from LBJ and Goldwater.
[caption id="attachment_40260" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Supporters hold signs at a Donald
Is Trump the last gasp of Reagan’s Republican Party?
With Donald Trump almost certainly the Republican Party’s candidate for
No, it’s not new that some working-class and poor whites vote Republican
[caption id="attachment_38412" align="aligncenter" width="1484"] The symbols of the Democratic (donkey)
Holding hearings for Merrick Garland would actually help Senate Republicans. Here’s how.
[caption id="attachment_36037" align="aligncenter" width="908"] The chair of the late Supreme
If Hillary Clinton is running for Obama’s ‘third term,’ she faces these challenges
[caption id="attachment_24542" align="aligncenter" width="908"] (Mike Blake/Reuters)[/caption] So it looks as
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.
One-third of all U.S. presidents appointed a Supreme Court justice in an election year
Eminent Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes famously described his fellow
Why are the deaths of sitting Supreme Court justices so rare?
[caption id="attachment_35811" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Justice Antonin Scalia in 2005. (J.
Here are three ways that Star Wars is a neoconservative universe
[caption id="attachment_32707" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Daisey Ridley as Rey, left, and
Bolivian elections get the Hollywood treatment, and now we’re discussing term limits
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLZo_ILZhfk Bolivian politics are not usually the stuff of
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
Who can get Trump to tone it down? Reince Priebus is trying.
[caption id="attachment_27331" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks
Why does the U.S. use public revenue to support private home ownership?
[caption id="attachment_23681" align="alignnone" width="620" class="center"] (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg News)[/caption] If you
New ranking of U.S. presidents puts Lincoln at No. 1, Obama at 18; Kennedy judged most overrated
Although it has been celebrated officially since 1879, Presidents' Day
Second-term blues
[caption id="attachment_14398" align="alignleft" width="239"] Alexander Hamilton's arguments from 1788 against
What can Obama expect from his last Congress?
[caption id="attachment_12766" align="aligncenter" width="620"] President Obama speaks at 1776, a
Measurement and management: The VA scandal
[caption id="attachment_11152" align="alignleft" width="300" special=""] The VA scandal shows good
Does a higher minimum wage make people happier?
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="606" special="A APRIL 2, 2014, FILE PHOTO"]
Robert Strauss is dead, but political parties are alive and well
The New York Times uses the passing of Washington super-lawyer
How Obama's 'Between Two Ferns' appearance compares to FDR's fireside chats
This is a guest post by political scientist Julia R.
How Obama’s ‘Between Two Ferns’ appearance compares to FDR’s fireside chats
This is a guest post by political scientist Julia R.
Obama’s Place in History: Great, Good, Average, Mediocre or Poor?
[caption id="attachment_7025" align="aligncenter" width="551" special=""] (Jason Reed/Reuters)[/caption] This is a
The unilateral president? An addendum.
[caption id="attachment_6014" align="alignleft" width="300" special=""] Only one of the many
SOTU 2014: Another Laundry List After All
[script]%3Cdiv%20class=%22posttv-video-embed%22%20data-uuid=%22d856aa5a-88a4-11e3-833c-33098f9e5267%22%3E%3Cscript%20type=%22text/javascript%22%20src=%22http://www.washingtonpost.com/posttv/static/js/posttv/ooyala/posttv-video-embed.js%22%3E%3C/script%3E%3C/div%3E[/script] As I noted earlier tonight on this site, the White House
Was the nuclear option about filling the courts or filling the courts with Democrats?
The following guest post is by Tom Clark and Sanford
Where's that Team of Rivals?
[caption id="attachment_2827" align="alignleft" width="300" special=""] Pres. Obama meets with his
A “Hands-Tied Presidency”? Refer to the syllabus…
A piece in the Sunday review section of the New
Too Hidden a Hand
It's nice to see Peter Baker writing in today's New
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
Governing the World: A Review
The past decade has treated us to some excellent histories
What Will-kie Mitt Do?
It's two days after the election, and thus time for
Is Our Parties Learning?
In a recent post,the estimable Jon Bernstein of A Plain
Making the world safe . . . for the other party to mess it up
Mark Lilla writes: Reagan did in fact restore (then overinflate)
Emoter-in-Chief?
One of the most striking aspects of Mitt Romney's acceptance
Is Paul Ryan Really the Most Conservative Vice-Presidential Nominee?
This is a guest post from University of California, Berkeley
If Paul Krugman is right and it’s 1931, what happens next?
The New York Times columnist writes: Suddenly normally calm economists
No Matter How the Court Rules, the Health Reform Battle Will Continue
This is a guest post from Eric M. Patashnik and