We’re Better at Picking Oscar Nominees Than Presidential Contenders

Everyone Hates the Way American Primaries Work. Can France or Hollywood Help Fix Them?

In 1912, former President Teddy Roosevelt came out of retirement to seek the Republican nomination for a third term. But rather than supporting the standard way of selecting a candidate at the time—allowing party bosses to pick one—he demanded a different approach. “Let the people rule,” he thundered, inspiring the very first presidential primary elections. A half-century later, in 1968, after Hubert Humphrey was nominated by the Democrats even though he didn’t win any primaries, our current system of primaries and caucuses took shape as another step forward in democratization.

But …

January 13, 2016

Do We Really Need Campaign Finance Reform?

Some Political Analysts See Corruption in Unrestricted Spending. Others See an Equal Playing Field.

January 11, 2016

By the time America’s next president is named this November, campaign spending for all the candidates who ran in the election is projected to total about $4.4 billion—on television ads …

Let’s Face It, California Is Nuts

From Education to Infrastructure, the Golden State Dares to Defy Common Sense

By Joe Mathews | January 7, 2016

My fellow Californians, the state of our state is nuttier than ever.

In saying that, I do not meant to judge the sanity of individual Californians—to the contrary, national surveys show …

Invite Tunisia to Join the European Union

In North Africa's New and Struggling Democracy, EU Membership Could Make All the Difference

By Daniel Schily | December 21, 2015

Tunisia, welcome to Europe—if you still want to join us.

Four years ago, in Germany’s newspaper for intellectuals, Die Zeit, the prominent author Gero von Randow called for Tunisia to be …

Do Beautiful Parks Strengthen Democracy?

To Frederick Law Olmsted, Designer of Many of America’s Most Iconic Landscapes, Common Spaces Are Key to Getting Beyond Our Own Narrow Individualism

By Garrett Dash Nelson | December 17, 2015

In 1846, shortly after his 24th birthday, Frederick Law Olmsted wrote to a friend, full of dismay about the prospect of finding a purpose in life. “I want to make …

How I Help My Mississippi Neighbors Vote

A Transplanted Californian Finds Himself on the Front Lines of Democracy—Part-Time

By Clay Russell | November 30, 2015

When I moved from big-city California to small-town Mississippi earlier this year, one thing I did to participate in my community was sign up as an election worker. It was …

democracy

We’re Better at Picking Oscar Nominees Than Presidential Contenders

Everyone Hates the Way American Primaries Work. Can France or Hollywood Help Fix Them?

Do We Really Need Campaign Finance Reform?

Some Political Analysts See Corruption in Unrestricted Spending. Others See an Equal Playing Field.

Let’s Face It, California Is Nuts

From Education to Infrastructure, the Golden State Dares to Defy Common Sense

Invite Tunisia to Join the European Union

In North Africa's New and Struggling Democracy, EU Membership Could Make All the Difference

Do Beautiful Parks Strengthen Democracy?

To Frederick Law Olmsted, Designer of Many of America’s Most Iconic Landscapes, Common Spaces Are Key to Getting Beyond Our Own Narrow Individualism

How I Help My Mississippi Neighbors Vote

A Transplanted Californian Finds Himself on the Front Lines of Democracy—Part-Time

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Americans Have Been Fed Up With the Presidential Nomination Process for More Than 200 Years

And No Matter the Reform, the Primary Pendulum Between Elite Power and Voter Influence Will Keep Swinging

Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders Should Thank Theodore Roosevelt

Outsider Candidates Didn’t Have Much of a Chance Until the Rough Rider Championed Primary Elections

Why Does the 2020 Presidential Campaign Feel So Loud and Angry?

In an Age of ‘Post-Rhetorical’ Politics, Candidates Now Compete, Rather Than Cooperate, With the Media

Are California Elections a Triumph of Democracy—or a Defeat?

The Golden State Keeps Making It Easier to Vote, and Harder to Understand What to Vote For

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