Birtherism and the Electoral College

States actually have constitutional authority over the selection of electors, not of the president.

Democratic Senators Unleash Tax Vendetta Against Eduardo Saverin

Eduardo Saverin has become a political whipping boy.

Even if Christie is VP, Obama Wins New Jersey

A new poll finds that adding Chris Christie to the ticket would fail to deliver New Jersey to the Republicans.

Do Businessmen Make Good Presidents?

The Oval Office is nothing like a corporate boardroom.

Get Rid Of Recall Elections

Recall elections in a hyper-partisan atmosphere are not a good thing.

Dissecting Mitt Romney’s Foreign Policy

Is there a Romney Doctrine?

The Census, the House GOP, and the Founders

The Founders would never have thought to do more than count people in the Census!

More on the Federalist Papers as the Rosetta Stone for the Constitution

There are a number of problems with the notion that the Federalist Papers provide a perfect guide to the Constitution.

Teaching the Federalist Papers

If we taught the Federalist Papers more rigorously would that lead to a shared view of the constitution?

All Facts Are Not Created Equal

Our psychological and cultural biases make evaluating information and arguments rationally next to impossible.

Parties Play to Win the Game

Parties are in politics primarily to win the vote of the median voter, not to join together and sing Kumbaya.

Voter Turnout And Registration

Some thoughts on the voter registration/voter turnout debate.

Voter Registration Restrictions and Representative Democracy

We should want more voters, not less, if we actually value representaitve democracy.

War And The Presidency

According to some historians, a President isn’t truly great unless he involves America in a bloody and destructive war.

Levon Helm in ‘Final Stages’ of Cancer Battle

Legendary musician Levon Helm is dying.

Institutional Parameters Matter

The Senate didn’t have a productive 2011. Is this just a case of laziness?

Do Americans Really Want A President Who “Feels Our Pain”?

We need a lot less fake empathy in politics.

Where Have the Thoughtful Conservatives Gone?

OTB’s comment section as a microcosm of the American political landscape.

How SuperPACs Have Made Politics More Democratic

Far from being deterimental, there is a case to be made that SuperPACs have actually expended democracy during this election cycle.

Politics, Hubris, And The Questionable Constitutionality Of ObamaCare

This week’s hearings in the Supreme Court caught many proponents of the Affordable Care Act off guard.

IR Wonks vs. IR Journals

Dan Drezner declares that “Policy wonks ignore political science journals at their peril.”

Conservatives and the Individual Mandate

Is the now-familiar refrain that the individual mandate was originally a conservative idea really true?

What Should Americans Know About American Government?

What walking around knowledge about our political system is necessary to be an informed citizen?

Hate Crimes And The Rutgers SpyCam Case

Dharun Ravi was convicted of bias intimidation toward Tyler Clementi. It’s not at all clear that he should have been.

How Do You Defeat An Incumbent President?

The odds are against anyone who challenges an incumbent President. So, how do you do it?

The Stock Market And Elections: A Study In Correlation v. Causation

Can Wall Street predict the outcome of Presidential elections? Not really.

What is “Limited Government”?

What does it mean to have a limited government?

Voter ID Laws Won’t Work If Problems Like This Aren’t Dealt With

Voter ID laws are a good idea, but we have to be careful in how we implement them.

Are the GOP Delegate Allocation Rules Actually Proportional?

That word does not mean what you think it means (at least if you work in the mass media).

John McCain Advocates Unprovoked War Against Syria

Arizona’s senior Senator want’s to bomb Syria.

Bob Kerrey, DINO?

Our political scene has changed drastically since Bob Kerrey was last in the Senate.

Citizens United Not The Problem

Billionaires have been free to donate as much money as they want to activist groups since the dawn of the Republic.

US Capitol Rotunda US Capitol Rotunda

No, Republicans Wouldn’t Eliminate The Filibuster

Worried the GOP might eliminate the filibuster if they gain control of the Senate? Don’t be.

Time Running Out For GOP?

2012 may be the last chance for the current Republican Party to win the White House.

Why Are We Letting Them Fool Us?

There’s an entire industry that profits from exploiting political controversy and division. Why do we let them get away with it?