Robert Kuttner

This could be the first year since 1960 that the Democratic nomination contest goes all the way to the convention. In that year, John Kennedy eked out a first ballot win, but the roll call of the states went all the way to the letter W — Wyoming — before Kennedy went over the top. […]

In 1975, political scientist Edward Tufte and economist William Norhaus put forth a theory of the political business cycle. Usually, “business cycle” refers to the normal ups and downs of the economy. Their insight was that the business cycle is influenced by politics. These scholars documented that incumbent presidents often used their influence with Congress […]

What a year it has been! But what will 2004 bring? You can be a pundit, too. Here are some scenarios for the New Year. I’ll reveal my own guesses at the bottom of the column, and this time next year we can see who was the best prognosticator. 1. Politics. (a) Howard Dean sweeps […]

In President Bush’s upcoming State of the Union Address, we are going to hear alot about something called an “Ownership Society.” The idea is thatAmerican workers aspire to be owners – owners of stock for their retirement, owners ofhomes, owners of businesses, owners of good health insurance, and owners of theskills that they need to […]

The economy grew at a sizzling 8.2 percent in the third quarter. But job growth is not following. The economy has shed about 2.6 million jobs since President Bush took office. In the past few months, it has begun creating new jobs, but not nearly enough. Last month the economy gained only 57,000 new jobs, […]

For both parties, next year’s presidential election is, in many ways, a race against the clock. For President Bush, the question is whether he peaks too early. For now, the economic news is good and the war news just barely tolerable. But take a closer look at both fronts. On the economy, the ideal time […]

What will result from the the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruling that gays have the right to marry — a victory for tolerance, liberty and privacy, or an invitation to backlash? It’s too soon to tell, but in the expansion of rights and liberties, courts and political movements often interact in surprising ways. A court decision […]

The Bush administration’s Medicare bill is a calculated first step toward ending universal Medicare in favor of vouchers. President Bush and his congressional allies have deftly baited this hook with meager prescription drug benefits. With legislators wanting to go home for Thanksgiving, the White House hopes to force a vote by this weekend. The haste […]