Good to Know: The Federal Reserve and U.S. monetary policy
The Fed is getting some good press. So what exactly is the Fed, and what does it do?
Will foreign policy actually matter in the 2024 U.S. election?
It may not matter much to voters, but foreign policy is definitely on the ballot.
A century ago, Prohibition was about expanding liberty. Then our definition of liberty changed.
Many defenders of Black, Native American and women’s political rights saw Prohibition as increasing freedom
Mitch McConnell once knew all about the filibuster’s racist history. What changed?
We know from his own writings that McConnell is aware of the filibuster’s ‘racial history’
If a president becomes incapacitated, here’s what the Constitution says
The 25th Amendment answers at least some of the big questions.
The Trump administration wants to shut down vaping? Over a century ago, the government urged soldiers to smoke.
How cigarettes won big in World War I
Is it really time to scrap democracy? Let’s examine the evidence.
Roslyn Fuller’s new book takes apart the pessimists’ arguments
Is the clock ticking on daylight saving time? Here’s what it would take to change it.
We look at the politics behind why Americans love/hate turning back the clock
The Treaty of Versailles was signed June 28, 1919. So why don’t countries formalize peace today?
Here’s how peace treaties have changed in the past 100 years.
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.
Because China isn’t ‘Caucasian,’ the U.S. is planning for a ‘clash of civilizations.’ That could be dangerous.
The United States tried that with Japan. It didn’t end well.
How did an annual report to Congress become the State of the Union address, a formal state occasion? We discuss.
Andrew Rudalevige: It’s State of the Union time! Where — “from
How Southern politicians defended white supremacy — and made the South poorer
[caption id="attachment_80638" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A Confederate battle flag flies over
The First World War ended with a whimper, not a bang. Here’s why.
[caption id="attachment_80111" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A woman cycles past an installation
Why the First World War lasted so long
The First World War ended 100 years ago today. Scholars
What happened to the State of the Union address? Originally, it helped the president and Congress deliberate.
On Tuesday night, President Trump delivers his State of the
Will Trump’s tariffs help him with his voters?
[caption id="attachment_68570" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Workers install solar panels on a roof
President Trump is trying to reach across the aisle. Good luck with that.
[caption id="attachment_65027" align="alignnone" width="960"] President Trump meets with Senate Majority
Donald Trump’s lukewarm response to Puerto Rico was pretty predictable. Here’s why.
Many have criticized the Trump administration for responding slowly to
Writing a constitution is the easy part. Here’s how the bureaucracy puts it into action.
[caption id="attachment_63534" align="aligncenter" width="960"] The Robert C. Weaver Federal Building,
How many votes could Hurricane Harvey cost Trump in Texas?
Hurricane Harvey has slammed into Texas, bringing power outages, destruction
Why presidential candidates (like Trump) campaign as isolationists but (like Trump) govern as hawks
[caption id="attachment_56963" align="alignleft" width="960"] A missile is fired from the
When presidents ‘back in’ to foreign conflicts, here’s what happens
[caption id="attachment_56595" align="aligncenter" width="960"] This image released by the White
Worried about the decline in democracy? Worry about the politicians, not the voters.
[caption id="attachment_54524" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Virginians received “I voted” stickers at
Here’s how Black newspapers rank the U.S. presidents
Who comes out on top?
A key reason the founders wanted the electoral college: To keep out demagogues and bullies
If U.S. citizens today think of the electoral college, it’s
Do shark attacks swing elections?
[caption id="attachment_48539" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A surfer carries his board into
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
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.
The Constitution was designed to weed out demagogues. Now it encourages them.
Recently Peter Wehner, a veteran of several Republican administrations, called presidential
How can universities deal with racism? Learn from war zones.
[caption id="attachment_33199" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Students gather at the entrance of
Here’s how to make government care about Black lives
2015 has been the year of protest. Chanting “Black Lives
The politics of centralizing power in the Fed
[caption id="attachment_22511" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Centralizing power at the Fed in
What a 100-year-old racist movie tells us about civil rights then and now
[caption id="attachment_22460" align="aligncenter" width="600"] A scene from D.W. Griffith’s “The
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
What can Obama expect from his last Congress?
[caption id="attachment_12766" align="aligncenter" width="620"] President Obama speaks at 1776, a
What is so great about ‘territorial integrity’ anyway?
[caption id="attachment_8111" align="aligncenter" width="500" special=""] Victor Drachev | AFP |
What is so great about 'territorial integrity' anyway?
[caption id="attachment_8111" align="aligncenter" width="500" special=""] Victor Drachev | AFP |
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
Summers’ Fall
Larry Summers to President Obama (2013): Thomas Jones to President
A “Hands-Tied Presidency”? Refer to the syllabus…
A piece in the Sunday review section of the New
Governing the World: A Review
The past decade has treated us to some excellent histories
Congress vs. President
This Google ngram is courtesy of "Danny Hayes":http://nw08.american.edu/~dhayes/index.htm. He notes:
Well, How Did We Get Here? The Rise of the 60-Vote Senate
Last Thursday, I made the case for the constitutionality of