The Editors

Hey, momentous occasion, guys — it’s hump day! And it’s also Barack Obama‘s hundredth day as president. So, how important is this landmark event? Important as any other day, says Mark Schmitt, who punctures the hundred-days myth. And since we’re already at it, Tim Fernholz offers a retrospective of Obama’s domestic policy, and Ilan Goldenberg […]

When it comes to the lives of women around the globe, do local traditions ever trump human rights? Michelle Goldberg examines the issue of female circumcision and the cultural tensions that surround it. Meanwhile, Dana Goldstein considers the challenges of dealing with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. And Paul Waldman studies how the other half thinks. […]

No matter how moderate the candidates may seem, controversy always seems to surround judicial appointments. Now that Obama has started to name his nominees, Doug Kendall and Simon Lazarus consider the never-ending war over the courts. Meanwhile, Ben Adler takes a trip out to the exurbs and learns a few things about suburban sprawl. And […]

Hollywood, it seems, is no longer captivated by the narrative of unions. But Rich Byrne still finds it worthwhile to consider the cultural effect of plays concerned with organized labor. Meanwhile, Nick Danforth wonders how the U.S. should handle a resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide. And Terence Samuel casts himself as the raconteur of Republican […]

What happens when states lose their leaders to Cabinet positions? TAP editors take a look at states like Arizona and Kansas, whose governors have left them for the greener pastures of the Obama administration. Meanwhile, Gershom Gorenberg considers Israel’s commemorative holidays, looking at how they construct national narratives and what they mean for the peace […]

Simon Johnson has become a voice for those who believe that not enough is being done to repair our financial architecture. Tim Fernholz talks to the economist and learns that his revolutionary approach has nothing to do with populism. Meanwhile, Ann Friedman reflects on America’s largest raid on undocumented workers and wonders why we rarely […]

Yesterday, the White House officially nominated law professor Cass Sunstein to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. Sunstein will be charged with overseeing everything from economic to environmental to health regulation, and he will also be tasked with monitoring government efficiency. In our April issue, Robert Kuttner examines Sunstein’s behavioral approach to policy […]

What’s the problem with Gary Gensler? Sen. Bernie Sanders has placed a hold on Obama’s pick to lead the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, suggesting that Gensler is not independent enough to “create a new culture in the financial marketplace.” Elana Schor examines the controversy and finds that the political jockeying obscures a very real debate […]

Conservative critics may bellyache about the rise of socialism all they want — their neo-McCarthyism won’t change the fact that the American electorate is moving to the left. John Halpin and Ruy Teixeira consider new research that finds that progressivism is going mainstream. Meanwhile, Paul Starr argues for revolution amid recession. And Ezra Klein challenges […]