Outside the Beltway

Increases in social benefits can increase freedom.

Multiple indicators point to a decline in the representativeness of the American system.

It’s time to up our protection game.

Granted, there are more than two. But from a political science/political history POV, these two stick out in my mind.

Reminders from a perusal of the news.

What meanings might the Founders have had? How should we understand the term?

Trump basically confirmed all but one aspect of the Atlantic story.

Two new studies bring more questions than answers.

Some global comparisons.

The counting methodology is flawed and that’s assuming honest reporting.

Contrary to some expectations, Americans are logging three extra hours of work a day.

A progressive idea that could win conservative support.

Despite our poor showing against COVID-19, we have the best infrastructure in place.

The university is welcoming students back to campus, even as classes are going online.

Young people acting selfishly is a fact of life.

The longtime talking head is the latest poster boy for #MeToo. And mandatory retirement.

A recurring source of friction in the OTB conversation.

In response to the American assassination of a top General, Iran has announced the end of yet more restrictions imposed by the 2015 nuclear deal.

By the end of today, Donald Trump will most likely be the third President of the United States to be impeached by the House of Representatives.

New polling shows that the American public does not support the President and his trade war.

Questions linger after a shooting leaves three people and the shooter dead in an incident at one of the nation’s largest Naval facilities.

Yesterday’s hearing before the House Judiciary Committee did a good job of explaining how the facts of the Ukraine scandal meet the Constitution’s definition of impeachable offenses.

French President Emmanuel Macron declared that the NATO alliance is suffering brain death due to President Trump’s neglect and lack of leadership.

What started out as a joke on the campaign trail has turned into a serious legal argument being made to a Federal Judge by an attorney for the President.

The UK is being given yet more time to figure out the obvious.

President Trump is basically saying he does not care if ISIS prisoners return to Europe to commit terror attacks.

Just days after President Trump agreed to remove American forces from the scene, Turkish forces are entering northern Syria and Kurdish forces say they ar ready for war.

Trying to nail down some basics about a very complicated situation.

An empty column with a seed of one good point buried in a bunch of nothing.

Jacques Chirac, who served two terms as President of France and was a strong opponent of the Iraq War, has died.

For Donald Trump, the Presidency has been nothing but a get richer quick scam.

Iowa Congressman Steve King finds himself low on campaign cash and with virtually no support from his party.

Joe Walsh, a former Tea Party stalwart who served in Congress nine years ago, has thrown his hat in the ring against President Trump for the 2020 GOP Presidential Nomination.

Donald Trump isn’t just admiring dictators now, he’s acting like one.

Once again, President Trump is doing Vladimir Putin’s bidding.

Another day, another Trump temper tantrum.

President Trump just tossed a hand grenade into the firestorm that American politics.

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s actions toward two Democratic Congresswomen,seemingly at the bidding of President Trump, is the latest example of the growing partisan divide over policy toward Israel.

A newly released report leaked from inside the British Government notes that a hard Brexit is likely to be a disaster for the British economy.

Congressman Steve King has some rather unique views about human history.

There’s an inherent tension in our national ethos.

While much of the talk about Robert Mueller’s testimony has focused on the Trump campaign, there was another part to his testimony that brings attention to a far more serious threat.

A strangely under-publicized story.

Tensions are increasing in the Persian Gulf thanks to a collection of actions by Iran, the United States, and United Kingdom.

How times have changed, and not for the better.

The Trump Era is raising doubts about many things, including America’s most important alliance.

Joe Biden delivered his first major foreign policy address of the campaign. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than what we have right now.

The victory of the U.S. Women’s team in the World Cup has renewed a long-standing argument over pay equity, but the issue is far more complicated than it seems.

Iran announced that it was exceeding another limitation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, upping the already tense situation in the Persian Gulf

Presidential v. parliamentary democracy, some basics.