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Alexis de Tocqueville on the Dangers of Presidential Elections

by Kevin M. Cherry

The degree of anger, anxiety and agitation accompanying the presidential campaigns are signs we've failed to heed some important insights from a key observer of American democracy.

Post-Election America Will Still Be Deeply Divided

by Joe Renouard

Congressional gridlock, eroding public trust, and partisan polarization are not media creations; they are observable and measurable realities.

The Presidential Tradition of Knowing When to Quit

by Wallace Hettle

Donald Trump apparently does not believe in the concept of "bad publicity," which removes a major set of incentives for him to follow the lead of previous losers of bitter elections and exit the scene quietly.

Columbus Still Kills: Trump, Colonial Apologetics and Anti-Native Violence

by Thomas Lecaque

As a historian, I see recent attacks on indigenous Americans and intrusions on tribal lands as part of a lengthy tradition of violence. But this year has witnessed a surge in apologetics for colonial violence in history that give support to present-day harm. 

The Shine is off the City on the Hill: American Democracy Seen From Abroad

by Niels Eichhorn

Viewed from abroad, the American belief that their nation exemplifies democracy has always been viewed with skepticism. 

Reconsidering "Court Packing" as Restoring Governing Norms

by Greg Bailey

The Republicans' choice to push through Amy Coney Barrett's nomination with the backing of a minority of the country means a new Congress must consider corrective action in the name of justice and democracy.

Will the 2020 Winner Be Empowered to Make Big Changes?

by Michael Nelson

A scholar of presidential politics suggests that a first Biden term is more likely than a second Trump term to achieve sweeping change through the political process, though it's far from certain Biden seeks a transformative presidency. 

Trump: Superhero or Superspreader?

by Meredith Martin, Gillian Weiss and Bonnie Siegler

Inspired by the Sun King’s detractors, the White House Gift Shop’s self-parodying statements, and Trump’s own Superman fantasies, we offer a medal honoring the Super Spreader.

Reading Pope Francis's "Fratelli Tutti" through Carl Sandburg

by Walter G. Moss

The latest encyclical by Pope Francis, calling for recognition of the unity of humanity, echoes the egalitarian humanism of the poet and writer Carl Sandburg.

Survivors, Apprentices, and Entrepreneurial Sharks: The Mark Burnett Reality TV Presidency

by Daniel Horowitz

Mark Burnett's reality TV empire has championed individualism and the myth of the entrepreneurial genius while reviving the celebrity and launching the political career of Donald Trump. Is 2020 the end of the line for both? 

FDR Was Right to Propose Enlarging the Court

by James D. Robenalt

Franklin Roosevelt's error in 1937 was not to propose expanding the court, it was to fail to explain and defend his popular political reasons for doing so.

Where Ross Douthat Goes Wrong

by Jim Sleeper

Jim Sleeper argues that Times columnist Ross Douthat's brand of conservatism fixates on a supposed liberal cultural domination while ignoring the right's long path to consolidating power through the law, institutions and the threat of physical force. 

A Star-Spangled Moment of Reckoning for U.S. Civil-Military Relations?

by Gregory D. Foster

The "deal" between the military and civilian leadership has hinged on an exchange of obedience to lawful authority by the military for expectations of honesty, competence, and respect for the Constitution on the part of elected leaders. This deal has been taken for granted, until now. 

Joe Biden Is Setting A Record That No One Has Noticed

by David O. Stewart

Joe Biden has been on the national ticket as a candidate three times, a distinction shared by both great and mediocre figures in American history. If he's victorious, he'd become one of only 6 people to win three times. 

Ranking Donald Trump: No Cause for National Happiness

by James M. Banner, Jr.

He’s accomplished what no other president has been able to achieve since the first presidential ranking in 1948.  He’s managed to raise James Buchanan, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, and Warren Harding off the floor.  The sad thing is that this is no achievement we can cheer.

Does the "Divided Loyalty" Question Still Dog Catholic Politicians?

by D.G. Hart

Joe Biden will likely do what JFK and Al Smith did, namely, fit his faith into the norms of American politics.

Fear of the "Pussification" of America: A Short Cultural History

by Gregory A. Daddis

The bizarre idea that COVID-19 can be defeated through manliness is one of the stranger cultural themes of our time, but it connects to a long history of anxiety about masculinity in a changing America that encourages violent and even self-destructive actions in the name of proving virility.

"Every Goodbye Ain’t Gone and Every Close Eye Ain’t Shut": Black Georgians' Memories and Election Unease

by Alicia K. Jackson

The unspoken realities of past voter suppression resonate in the present experience of many Black Georgians.

Trump's Opportunities to Thwart Democracy

by Alan J. Singer

There are several provisions in the Constitution that could allow Donald Trump, with the help of friendly courts, to hold power against the will of the electorate. 

Like Lincoln, Biden at Gettysburg Urges Reunification

by Walter G. Moss

Joe Biden's speech evoked the calls for unity and shared purpose made by presidents from Lincoln to FDR to Obama. The coming weeks will tell if voters embrace the message.