Liberty and Freedom: A Visual History of America’s Founding Ideas by David Hackett Fischer (Oxford University Press, 851 pages, $50.00) George W. Bush used the word “freedom” 24 times during his second inaugural address. After the president’s handlers rushed out and denied that he was looking to start more wars, George Bush Senior […]
James Morone
James A. Morone, a political science professor at Brown University , is the author of Hellfire Nation: The Politics of Sin in American History.
Posted inFeatures
In God’s Name
The Bush administration rushed into war talking about good and evil. “A calculated, malignant, devastating evil has arisen in our world,” proclaimed Attorney General John Ashcroft. “And we know God is not neutral,” added President Bush. While few defend Saddam Hussein, people around the world are troubled by the American crusade. The Bush administration has […]
Posted inBooks, Arts and Culture
The Corrosive Politics of Virtue
Decrying moral failure is an old American tradition that goes back to the Puritans. But the moral diagnosis is wrong — and it brings pernicious political consequences.
Posted inFeatures
Cultural Phenomena: Dumbledore’s Message
Back when the Harry Potter books first reached America, the righteous were ready: Conservative Christians called for a ban on the little wizard. Focus on the Family, a conservative religious group, cautioned that “witchcraft…is directly denounced in scripture.” Evangelical preachers pounded Harry Potter as “the work of the devil.” Harry flattened the preachers, of course–the […]
Posted inHealth and Social Policy
Health Care: Reformers’ Rounds
Organizing Reform James A. Morone In the high drama of winning health reform, a crucial matter is being pushed aside–who is going to make the system work? The fate of health reform turns on effective, sensible administration. Ignoring the issue now will produce chaos when the reforms are implemented. The president’s Health Security Plan gives […]
Posted inHealth and Social Policy
Hidden Complications: Why Health Care Competition Needs Regulation
The market cure for health care’s maladies would be no simple matter. In fact, the great irony of market reform is that it requires skill in regulation. Yet market reformers tend to deny the competence of government, undermining the very confidence t