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Dominick Reuter / Reuters How Donald Trump Is Reviving American Democracy
The president has energized his own supporters, and his attacks on established institutions have triggered a systemic immune response in the body politic.
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Carlos Barria / Reuters A Cure for Post-Election Malaise
Civic participation offers a way out of the 2016 doldrums.
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Dominick Reuter / Reuters Americans Don't Need Reconciliation—They Need to Get Better at Arguing
A rush to reunion can entrench injustice. Instead of papering over differences, Americans need to be smarter about engaging them.
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Frank Franklin II / AP End the Opportunity Monopoly
It’s not just that the rich get richer and the poor poorer; it’s that the rich get louder and poor quieter.
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John Locher / AP The Gadfly and the Grinder
Once upon a time, Hillary Clinton was in a race against a passionate ideologue named Bernie Sanders. Her victory depended not on changing, but on being herself—someone who gets things done.
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Seth Wenig / AP You Say You Want a Revolution
If Bernie Sanders is serious about a political transformation in America, he needs a better plan.
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Chuck Burton / AP A New York State of Patriotism
None of the Republican candidates showed they understand true New York values: embracing multiculturalism, innovation, and the unknown.
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Carlo Allegri / Reuters What Every American Should Know
Defining common cultural literacy for an increasingly diverse nation
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Shutterstock How Much Political Power Do You Have?
A quiz to compare yourself with the likes of Barack Obama, Cliven Bundy, and others
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Julius Kessler/Library of Congress The Joy of Voting
Festival and bonfires; outrageous wagers; toasting and fasting and even fighting. Elections used to be fun. What if they were again?
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Alfred A. Hard/Library of Congress When to Use Ethnic Slurs: A Guide
Is it ever acceptable to say "Chinamen"?
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Mal Langsdon/Reuters The Message of D-Day
A speechwriter who wrote Bill Clinton's address for the 50th anniversary of the invasion reflects on how such speeches are written and why they matter.
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Jason Redmond/Reuters The United Cities of America: What Seattle's Minimum-Wage Deal Means
An agreement to raise the wage floor to $15 per hour heralds a new sort of national politics, where local officials network to bypass Washington.
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Steven Depolo/Flickr What Scandinavia Can Teach U.S. Teens About Coming of Age
Civic-confirmation rites could help unify a fraying nation and instill crucial knowledge of American traditions and institutions.
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Richard Sherman: The New, True All-American
Why has Sherman's infamous post-game interview stirred up so much discomfort? Easy: The nation sees itself in him.
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Reuters The Case for an Asian Santa—and a Black Uncle Sam
When people are allowed to make a symbol their own, it becomes that much more resonant—especially in a nation founded on ideas, rather than blood or tribe.
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Reuters 3 Reasons 'Saving Face' Is Overrated
That requires mutual respect and mutual assistance. Besides, what Washington needs is more action and less obsession with appearances.
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'Middle-Out' Economics: Why the Right's Supply-Side Dogma Is Wrong
As President Obama embarks on a new economic-policy push, that will be his mantra. Here's what he means.
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Are You Smart Enough to Be a Citizen? Take Our Quiz
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We Need a Path to Citizenship for All Americans, Not Just Immigrants
Comprehensive immigration reform is on the agenda for 2013, but it should be coupled with revamped civics education, national service, and more.
