James Madison offered small “r” republican government as the sentry against the universal human tendency “to go low” and enshrine it politically. He thought large republics avoided tyrannies of majority or minority by jamming the political works with significant numbers of elected officials who disagree. More →

November 11, 2016

The real tragedy of the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut “is that it reflects America’s careless gun laws and the careless words that surround them. The outrageous notion that ‘guns don’t kill people; people kill people’ exemplifies this carelessness.” More →

December 17, 2012

“This economic wound will not heal without profound disagreement—that is the nature of democracy—but Obama hopes that we might bind it charitably and without malice.” More →

January 25, 2012

Osama bin Laden is dead. Can Americans experience a moment of national unity without waving a bloody shirt? More →

May 3, 2011

Does “winning the future” assume America can manage history as it unfolds? If so, it is a pretentious and dangerous position for any nation to believe in as a matter of religious or political destiny—or both. More →

January 26, 2011

“President Barack Obama has faith in America. He both opened and closed his State of the Union address with remarks about his belief in the power of the American spirit, which he defined as our fundamental strength, optimism, generosity, and decency as a people and as a nation.” More →

January 28, 2010