Another year in American politics is coming to a close, and what a year it’s been! We saw congressional investigations, turmoil in the administration, debates over consequential policy issues such as immigration and health care, and midterm elections with record-high turnout. For the rest of the week, instead of our usual newsletter format, we’ll be sharing a selection of some of The Atlantic’s best politics stories from 2018.
We’re sharing pieces that touch on some of the key figures and themes that have animated American politics throughout the past 12 months—from an essay about the nuance lacking in the national debate over gun control to an examination of how our political discourse has spun out of control. As always, thanks for reading, and we’ll be back tomorrow and Friday with more to read from the past year.
-Elaine Godfrey and Maddie Carlisle
How Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Plans to Wield Her Power
Russell Berman
“But, I don't want to be obnoxious either,” Ocasio-Cortez insisted. “Let's just get things done. I'll be really quiet if we get things done. If we pass Medicare for All, I'm going to be silent as a lamb.” → Read on.