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.
Politics
Posted inBooks, Arts and Culture
Is God a Republican?: Why Politics Is Dangerous for Religion
The Christian Coalition has made a dangerous gamble by associating faith with the Republican Party. If God blesses us only as Republicans or Democrats, both politics and religion are in trouble.
Posted inBooks, Arts and Culture
Fighting the Establishment (Clause)
The Rutherford Institute portrays itself as merely interested in defending the rights of religious Americans. A closer look reveals a more sweeping and questionable agenda.
Posted inFeatures
Did Clinton Succeed or Fail?
Dear E.J. Dionne: Did Clinton succeed or fail? It depends on how you define success. We need to consider him as a president, as a party man, as a world leader, and as a political figure who we hoped would rebuild confidence in the enterprise of democratic government. The U.S. economy certainly boomed during his […]
Posted inAmerica and the World
Return of the Native
Isolationism is rising among Republicans along with antigovernment fervor. Is Bob Dole — as Newt Gingrich says — another Bob Taft?
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
The Populist Road to Hell: Term Limits in California
It sounded like a good idea, but if California is any indication, term limits are a recipe for political chaos and increased special interest influence.
Posted inEconomic Policy
Of Our Time: After Solidarity
T he American Republic has long had a set of public and non-profit institutions that enrich our democracy by demonstrating that society is more than a mere market. The most expansive and explicit of these began in the New Deal, such as Social Security and later Medicare. However, public and communal institutions have a venerable […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Come the Devolution
You say you want a devolution? Then pay very close attention to the details, most of which stick the states with more liabilities — and fewer resources.
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Between a Swing and a Lock
T o their credit, the Republican leaders in Congress have had a highly strategic view of the uses of policy in consolidating political power. Newt Gingrich and his colleagues set themselves a clear agenda and they have stuck to it, conscious that their first priority, more important than any single piece of legislation, has been […]
Posted inBooks, Arts and Culture
The Smoldering Electorate
Three books about American politics help illuminate the deep frustration of voters — and suggest how much of a change Democrats must undertake to reach them.
