Features
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Controversy: The Black-White Test Score Gap
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State of the Debate: The Case Against "Civility"
Can't we all just get along? Not when "civility" is just a genteel way to mask the inevitable tensions and antagonisms of democratic society.
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State of the Debate: Defining Democracy Down
Must the Catholic Church admit women as priests? Must families with children or pets be allowed to live in every homeowners' association? These questions are even more complicated than they first appear.
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Essay: Look at Me! Leave Me Alone!
Which is stronger, the craving for publicity or the desire for privacy? The Truman Show demonstrates how tightly married these impulses are.
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Behind the Numbers: The Treadmill Economy
Even before the swooning of the Dow, the current economic expansion was less robust than it appeared. Is this a new economy? Or just people working harder to stay in place?
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Hearings Loss
It has been a long time since congressional hearings investigated real corporate and government abuses or serious social problems. But since 1994, the situation has gotten far worse: the oversight machinery is used for partisan purposes or simply left to rot.
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The Successor Generation
If the profusion of legacy candidates this election season is any indication, having a political pedigree can do wonders for your electoral chances. As we hurtle toward the possibility of the first all second-generation presidential race, it's time to ask: Do dynastic advantages trample democratic fairness?
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Elephantiasis
Republicans spent a generation bludgeoning Democrats with those dreaded "wedge issues." Maybe it's time to give the GOP some of its own medicine.
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Why Americans Go Broke
America's high bankruptcy rates suggest the recent economic boom is less than it appears. Changing bankruptcy law, which is what Republicans in Congress are threatening to do, won't help.
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Rape of the Appalachians
Strip mining is carving up broad swaths of West Virginia's hillsides and valleys. Are we willing to pay higher energy prices to stop it?
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Sovereign Myopia
American values of internationalism, the rule of law, and human rights are finally being enshrined in a permanent world court. So why is the United States leading the charge against it?
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Controversy: Charters and Choice
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Will Libraries Survive?
Rumors of the death of the brick-and-mortar library have been greatly exaggerated. Yes, the digital age has transformed the nature of data storage. But the public library will be a chief agent in providing access to digital information.
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Of Our Time: The Bankers' Regime
