Contempt of court
What is international law, anyway? Yuan Yi Zhu on how democratic countries are responding to expansive rulings by international courts.
From her beacon-hand
Why has U.S. public opinion turned against immigration? Mara Ostfeld on how Americans’ perceptions are shifting along with changes in political leadership, in the media environment, and on the ground.
Note: Visions of Inequality
5 W Main: Visions of Inequality. For most of the Cold War, economists—not just in the West but in
Shocks from underground
What’s driving the terrible conflict in Congo? The 2025 Oscar-nominee Johan Grimonprez on a history of violence and the costs of global competition over critical minerals.
Men in gray
What’s the Trump administration doing to the U.S. federal bureaucracy? Francis Fukuyama on the real drivers of waste in the American civil service and the democratic peril in attacking it politically.
Imperial presidency
Is there really an autocratic threat coming from inside American democracy? Daniel Bessner on the growth of U.S. presidential power and the resiliency of the remaining checks on it.
Note: State of Silence
5 W Main: State of Silence. On taking office, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to declassify
The fourth branch
What exactly do U.S. President Donald Trump and his inner circle have in mind when they say they’re taking on the “deep state”? Hugh Wilford on the specter of an unelected government behind the American government.
Note: We May Dominate the World
5 W Main: We May Dominate the World. During his inauguration last week, U.S. President Donald Trump said, “China
Black box
Does the Chinese Communist Party really control TikTok? Emile Dirks on how it’s just like any other social-media platform—and isn’t.
