In The January/February 2010 IssueThe Washington Ideas Forum Making HistoryDavid Greenberg on presidential disappointment, David Frum on reviving the Mugwumps, David M. Kennedy on the lessons of Woodrow Wilson, Paul Starr on governing in the age of Fox News. 
The Washington Ideas Forum Governing in the Age of Fox NewsThe polarization of the American media has deep historical roots—the republic came into being amidst a vigorous partisan press. But the splintering of public attention and the intensification of ideological journalism—in particular, the rise of Fox News—have created unique challenges for President Obama. Is it possible to have partisan media that retain professional standards of reporting? By Paul Starr.
The Washington Ideas Forum What Would Wilson Do?As the president wrestles with policy decisions about Afghanistan, Iran, and elsewhere, pundits try to pigeonhole him: Is he a realist or an idealist? But the best American foreign policy has always been both, mixing moral aspiration with unsentimental prudence. Obama’s most useful model may be a predecessor who was a realist wrongly pegged as an idealist. By David M. Kennedy.
The Washington Ideas Forum The HoneymoonersOne year in, Obama’s approval ratings have slipped, and they’re likely to get worse. He’ll probably muddle through seven more years of partisan acrimony, small-bore achievements, and bitter disappointment. But this is okay. In fact, it’s the definition of success for a modern president. By David Greenberg.
The Washington Ideas Forum Bring Back the MugwumpsDuring the late 19th century, a handful of Republican reformers earned the scorn of their party by standing up for their ideas—which went on to triumph. Today’s conservatives would be smart to follow their lead. By David Frum.
Education What Makes a Great Teacher?How one organization, drawing on two decades of observation and research, may have found the answer. By Amanda Ripley.
National How America Can Rise AgainIs the nation in terminal decline? Not necessarily—this country has been built on cycles of crisis and renewal, and the forces that have made it great remain strong. But the government is broken. Securing the future will require fixing a system that has become a joke. By James Fallows.
The Washington Ideas Forum Governing in the Age of Fox NewsThe polarization of the American media has deep historical roots—the republic came into being amidst a vigorous partisan press. But the splintering of public attention and the intensification of ideological journalism—in particular, the rise of Fox News—have created unique challenges for President Obama. Is it possible to have partisan media that retain professional standards of reporting? By Paul Starr.
The Military SimCity BaghdadA new computer game lets army officers practice counterinsurgency off the battlefield. By Brian Mockenhaupt.
History WalMart and the Civil WarSaving hallowed ground from a Big Box invader. By Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Business Capitalist FoolsCommercial real estate is dominated by financial professionals, not hustlers looking for a quick flip. So why is the market about to melt down? By Megan McArdle.
|
Featured Archive Content
Campaign-Finance ReformIn 1998, Joe Lieberman made the case for campaign-finance reform.
McCain-FeingoldAn in-depth analysis of the McCain-Feingold bill and its implications. By Seth Gitell (July/August 2003)
The Coming Death ShortageWhy the longevity boom will make us sorry to be alive. By Charles C. Mann
Unwinding BushHow long will it take to fix his mistakes? By Jonathan Rauch
1491Before it became the New World, the Western Hemisphere was vastly more populous and sophisticated than has been thought. What the New World was really like at the time of Columbus's discovery. By Charles C. Mann (March 2002)
The Apocalypse of AdolescenceIn 2002, two Vermont teenagers were charged with the knifing murder of two Dartmouth College professors. The case offers entry to a disturbing subject—acts of lethal violence committed by "ordinary" teenagers from "ordinary" communities, teenagers who have become detached from civic life, saturated by the mythic violent imagery of popular culture, and consumed by the dictates of some private murderous fantasy. (May 1994)
The Rush Limbaugh story"Liberals who are used to thinking of Limbaugh as another Falwell or Buchanan should instead think of his radio program, at its best, as another Saturday Night Live." By James Fallows (May 1994)
When was the last time a conservative talk show changed a mind?"I would agree all the more with Limbaugh if, after he returned from rehab, he'd shouted (as most Americans ought to), 'I'm sorry I had fun! I promise not to have any more!'" P.J. O'Rourke
Bucking the HerdParents who refuse vaccination for their children may be putting entire communities at risk. By Arthur Allen |
Recently in the Atlantic
|
Interactive Feature The State of the Union Is ...... thrifty, overextended, admired, twitchy, filthy, and clean: the nation in numbers. By Rachael Brown.
Religion Did Christianity Cause the Crash?For millions of followers, the prosperity gospel encouraged financial risk in the name of God. By Hanna Rosin.
History How Einstein Divided America's JewsThe physicist’s first trip to the U.S. placed him at the center of contentious debates over Zionism. By Walter Isaacson.
Genetics The Science of SuccessNew neurological findings suggest that “bad genes” can in fact be the keys to adult achievement—but only with the right parenting. By David Dobbs.
Technology Who Needs the Grid?A new fuel-cell technology promises to revolutionize access to cheap, clean energy. By Lane Wallace.
Business Lead Us Not Into DebtFinance guru Dave Ramsey wins followers with a simple message: find God and lose your credit cards. By Megan McArdle.
Dispatch Going Rogue: The QuizYou’ve seen the interviews. You’ve read the instant reviews. You know everything about Sarah Palin’s new book. Or do you? Test your Palin-tology. By Paul Slansky. |
Dispatch Going Rogue: The QuizYou’ve seen the interviews. You’ve read the instant reviews. You know everything about Sarah Palin’s new book. Or do you? Test your Palin-tology. By Paul Slansky.
Health Does the Vaccine Matter?To prevent a devastating flu pandemic, the government is relying heavily on vaccines and antivirals. Some experts say that both are quite possibly useless. By Shannon Brownlee and Jeanne Lenzer.
Business Misleading IndicatorWill the Great Recession finally end our misguided obsession with gross domestic product? By Megan McArdle.
Design Houses of the FutureIn New Orleans, a new kind of house is rising from the ruins of Katrina. Cheap, green, and radically hip, it may change architecture for a generation. By Wayne Curtis.
The Military WipeoutGuam’s surfers fret about the impact of a $15 billion defense buildup on their island. By Jeannette Lee.
The SnatchbackWhen Todd Hopson wanted to get Andres, the 9-year-old boy he'd raised from infancy, back from his biological father in Costa Rica, he called Gus Zamora, who retrieves internationally abducted children for a living. Here’s what happened next. By Nadya Labi. |