The Problem With Congress, and How to Fix It
Lawrence Lessig, a Harvard Law professor, offers creative solutions to change an unrepresentative system.
What Growing Up in Compton Teaches You
Travon Free discusses institutionalized poverty and racism through his personal experiences.
7 Ways to Find Meaning at Work
David Brooks and Arthur Brooks offer advice on how to turn a job into a vocation.
Why Would a Republican Hawk Support Donald Trump?
Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton makes his case.
Gingrich: ‘There's No Evidence at All That Trump Is a Racist’
The former Speaker of the House, who’s reportedly being vetted as Donald Trump’s running mate, expounded on the presidential candidate’s strengths and flaws.
What If the Terrorists Are Already Here?
How to talk about terrorism today—and how to stop talking about it
Why Is Populism Winning on the American Right?
The answer may have less to do with the Trump phenomenon, and more daunting implications, than it seems.
How Gay Culture Helped Everyone Come Out of the Closet
The queer-rights movement, Dan Savage argues, helped American culture do something it has traditionally been reluctant to do: talk honestly and openly about sex.
The Moral Panic About Online Porn
The psychotherapist Marty Klein argues that most anxiety about its pervasive influence is misplaced.
Trust in Government Is Collapsing Around the World
The trend helps explain Trump and Brexit. What’s next?
Is Reason Losing Out to Instinct and Emotion?
A journalist and an artist reflect on our relationship with Enlightenment ideals.
A Chancellor at Rutgers on Admissions and the Meritocracy
The growing diversity of today’s educational cohort prompts the question, “Whose talents do we as a nation need to cultivate?”
Can Existing Institutions Produce the Leaders That the World Needs?
A inquiry into the skills required to address the coming century’s problems
Should Journalism Be Subject to Anti-Trust Laws?
Nina Totenberg’s thought-experiment about the future of the press
The Typical College Student Is Not Who You Think It Is
What percentage graduated from high school and enrolled within a year at a four year institution where they live on campus?
What Does It Really Mean to Be 'Single'?
There needs to be more nuanced language to describe the expanding demographic of unmarried Americans.
Loretta Lynch: ‘I Certainly Wouldn’t Do It Again’
The nation’s top law-enforcement official speaks out on her tarmac meeting with Bill Clinton, and how she’ll handle the investigation of Hillary Clinton.
Challenging Culture's Whiteness by Default
As the art and entertainment industries begin to look increasingly unlike America, how can people in power better expand their pipeline for talent?
Is American Culture Asking Too Much of Marriage?
The relationship therapist Esther Perel thinks so—and argues that it’s time to rethink matrimony and, with it, infidelity.
What About Convicts of Violent Crimes?
An incarceration-reform advocate and former inmate makes the case for broader rehabilitation efforts.
Should Any Ideas Be 'Off the Table' in Campus Debates?
University leaders and observers discuss the intersection of student protests, free speech and academic freedom.
When Algorithms Take the Stand
A case soon to be decided by the Wisconsin Supreme Court considers the proper role of mathematical prediction in the courtroom—and beyond.
Learning to Be Human
In an era fixated with science, technology, and data, the humanities are in decline. They’re more vital than ever.
Three Threats to Civic Health in America
Former Senator Tom Daschle, former Congresswoman Jane Harman, and political scientist Lynn Vavreck articulate related concerns about U.S. politics.
Generational Differences in Black Activism
The contrasting approaches of DeRay McKesson, a prominent Black Lives Matter activist, and Marc Morial of the National Urban League.
Mitt Romney: My Conscience Won't Allow Me to Vote for Trump or Clinton
The 2012 GOP nominee says that he may write in his wife’s name, or may vote for a third party candidate.
A Tragic Moment for the Supreme Court
Yale law professor Stephen L. Carter laments the recent string of divided decisions and urges a return to efforts to reach consensus, or near consensus, about the Constitution.
A Christian Challenges His Coreligionists: 'Act More Christian Than White'
Jim Wallis, the founder of Sojourners, regards whiteness as a myth and white supremacy as idolatry.
A Strong Middle Class Doesn't Just Happen Naturally
In the 20th century, America invested in policies that created widespread prosperity. Can the country do so again?
Do Humans Inherit or Create Their Personalities?
A psychology professor sketches a debate that captivates many in his field.
Do Digital News Feeds Threaten or Enhance Deliberative Democracy?
An expression of concern about the algorithms that shape what Americans read before they vote.
Making Bread Great Again
One professor is on a quest to bring flavor and variety back to the American diet.
The On-Demand Society
Consumers don’t want to be locked into long-term deals, and that’s a real problem for arts institutions.
John Kerry: 'We Are Not Frozen in a Nightmare'
Defending the Obama Administration’s geopolitical record, the secretary of state laid out a vision of an America that is globalist, engaged, and deeply interventionist.
Is America's Foreign-Policy Pendulum Swinging Back to Intervention?
After Obama’s two terms in office, will his successor push America back toward a more robust engagement with the world?
‘Return on Investment’: The Narrow, Short-Sighted Finance Concept That Has Taken Over Society
There’s more to life than can be measured in monetary returns.
How Donald Trump Changed the Future of the Right
Ambitious young politicians now know that it is possible to win Republican primaries without staying true to movement conservative orthodoxy.
Why America's Business Majors Are in Desperate Need of a Liberal-Arts Education
Their degrees may help them secure entry-level jobs, but to advance in their careers, they’ll need much more than technical skills.
The Cable Empire Strikes Back
The 2016 Olympics will be a test of how well Comcast and NBC can deliver live programming in the digital, on-demand era.
The Case for Restraint in All Things
Assertiveness and outrage often do more harm than good, argues John Dickerson, who adds that “generosity and compassion require a pause in self-obsession.”
Alien Worlds Might Be Covered in Enormous Mountains
On the sublime scenery that might await us on exoplanets.
How Does Hookup Culture Affect Sexual Assault on Campus?
A call for open-minded debate about all the reasons that blurred lines exist.
Addressing Distrust Between Cops and Communities of Color
A conversation with a prominent Black Lives Matter activist, a retired police chief, and the head of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
Travesties in Criminal Justice That Are Mostly Ignored
In many jurisdictions, prosecutors are elected officials, and municipal courts operate with relative transparency, yet voters are ignorant of deep injustices that go on every day.
Laura Bush's Case for Remaining in Afghanistan
America’s commitment to the rights of women, the former First Lady argues, obliges it to stay the course.
How to Revive Local Agriculture in the United States
Small farms are eager to meet growing demand for local, sustainable, and organic food—if only the federal government would trim regulations and get behind their efforts.
The Art of Recognizing Good Ideas
And why managers are so bad at it
Want to Find Intelligent Life on Other Planets? Look for Refrigerators
Could Freon in the atmosphere of a distant planet be the thing that finally confirms humankind is not alone?
What If America Approached Crime Like Treating a Disease?
The case for an outcomes-based approach to criminal-justice reform
Enforcing the Law Is Inherently Violent
A Yale law professor suggests that oft-ignored truth should inform debates about what statutes and regulations to codify.
Should the Careless Be Punished for Getting Hacked?
A computer security expert grapples with how to better protect us from cyberattacks.
How Obama Bounced Back
After a stinging defeat in the 2014 midterm elections, the president found a way to avoid being a lame duck.
A Plea for Rapid Resolution of the Brexit
The International Monetary Fund’s Christine Lagarde asks leaders to proceed in “the most efficient, predictable way.”
Susan Rice: The U.S. Must Fight Terrorists Abroad in Iraq, Syria and Beyond
The Obama Administration national security adviser on ISIS, Brexit, and the Rwanda genocide.
Stoking Debate at the Aspen Ideas Festival
Which issues deserve to be discussed more widely, vigorously, or robustly?
The Long-Term Risks of Early Puberty
Girls who start to develop at young ages—as more and more of them are—are at risk for a host of physical and psychological problems.
What Is Gender, Anyway?
Thoughts from Caitlyn Jenner, Mona Eltahawy, and Bisi Alimi on stigma and pushing beyond the binary.
Kim to Caitlyn: 'You Gotta Rock It Every Day'
Why the transgender star equates femininity with makeup
Why Vitamins and Other 'Dietary Supplements' Can Contain Anything
Six former FDA commissioners regret inabilities to ensure safety and legitimacy of products.
You Can’t Willpower Your Way to Lasting Weight Loss
Shedding pounds is usually a losing battle—research suggests it’s better to just focus on building a healthy lifestyle.
The Complicated Connection Between Football and ALS
The film Gleason explores the heartbreaking toll of Lou Gehrig’s disease on a young athlete.
How Can We Get More Living Organ Donors?
Allowing people to sell organs is a fraught issue, but maybe they could be reimbursed for the costs of donation.
Zika Is the ‘Most Difficult’ Emergency Health Response Ever, CDC Official Says
How the virus is spread, its disproportionate danger for pregnant women, and the delay in its worst effects combine to make this outbreak particularly tough.
A Distaste for the Memory of the Tale
Across centuries and generations, Americans have been unpleasantly surprised by the failure of our attempts to forget and transcend history.
100 Percent Is Overrated
People labeled “smart” at a young age don’t deal well with being wrong. Life grows stagnant.
What If the Oceans Were National Parks?
Ocean conservationists want to bring the same approach to the ocean that the century-old National Park Service brought to the land.
Don’t Worry So Much About Whether Your Food Is ‘Processed’
As long as people are eating fruits and vegetables, it’s not that important whether they’re fresh, frozen, or canned.
Antibiotic Resistance Is Everyone's Problem
How can doctors, drug companies, and governments prevent a future where people die of minor infections?
Preventing the Next Pandemic
As the Ebola outbreak nears its end, the world prepares for future public-health threats.
What Does It Mean to Be Healthy, Anyway?
The search for answers often leads to more questions. Notes from Spotlight Health.