09
Apr
The custom of dons
If Donald Trump isn’t an autocrat, what is he? Stephen Hanson on the old historical model for the new American presidency.
12 min read
Law
10
Mar
Contempt of court
What is international law, anyway? Yuan Yi Zhu on how democratic countries are responding to expansive rulings by international courts.
12 min read
16
Feb
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.
11 min read
04
Feb
Crisis in Seoul
How resilient is democracy in South Korea? Stephan Haggard on increasing social polarization, economic inequality, and political violence.
10 min read
21
Jan
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.
7 min read
29
Aug
Shadows and fog
Why is violent crime down in the U.S.? Tracey Meares on what’s happening, what Americans think is happening, and how much anyone actually knows about it at all.
8 min read
28
Aug
Note: It’s the data, stupid
It’s the data, stupid. In a Washington, D.C., courtroom on August 5, District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that
2 min read
09
Jul
Reasonable doubt
Has the U.S. legal system been politically captured? Christopher W. Schmidt on the conflict over the country’s Supreme Court, allegations about the prosecution of Donald Trump, and the fragmentation of America’s institutions.
11 min read
11
Mar
Out of the past
How much legal trouble is Donald Trump in? Kimberly Wehle on the criminal and civil investigations trailing the former U.S. president.
11 min read
22
Feb
‘Zero legitimacy’
Is the U.S. Supreme Court in crisis? Christopher W. Schmidt on the emerging politics of the American judiciary.
12 min read