Firsts among citizens
Is there really a “new oligarchy” in America? Quinn Slobodian on why so many Silicon Valley billionaires have gotten so involved in everyday American politics.
‘It’s a hydra’
What can democracies do about autocratic interference? Josh Rudolph on the challenges of resistance and resiliency.
Enigmas
What exactly is the problem here? Justin Callais on the ambiguities of corruption.
Organized crime
Why do dictators keep disrupting so many other countries? Miranda Patrucić on what China and Russia are doing in neighboring nations, developing states, and the world’s most powerful democracies.
Broad daylight
How common is the corruption of public officials in the U.S.? Ben Freeman on what America’s “authoritarian friends” from the Persian Gulf are doing in Washington, D.C.
Contempt of court
What is international law, anyway? Yuan Yi Zhu on how democratic countries are responding to expansive rulings by international courts.
French sour
Why does France seem to be falling apart? Marc Weitzmann on immigration, regulation, and the end of a political era.
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.
4 percent high and rising
Why are bond yields going up so much around the world? Rebecca Patterson on economic growth, expectations of inflation, and unsustainable government spending.
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.