The Best of 2015's Best of Lists
Standouts from this year’s December pop-culture roundups
Who Gets Excluded From the Modern Economy?
Experts on banking and labor markets offer their reasons for optimism and pessimism going into 2016.
2015: The Year in High-Stakes Handshakes
Diplomacy: It’s all in the wrist.
Female Characters Don’t Have to Be Likable
Several novels this year starred female protagonists as flawed and interesting as literature’s most memorable male characters.
Remembered: A Few Notable Deaths of 2015
B.B. King, Grace Lee Boggs, Allen Toussaint, and nine others who changed the world
How Will the American Workforce Change?
Experts on race, gender, and labor offer their reasons for optimism and pessimism going into 2016.
A Year of Black Lives Matter
As the protest movement evolves, activists face pushback and growing pains.
What Would It Take for the Economy to Be More Fair?
Experts on business, labor, and corporate governance offer their reasons for optimism and pessimism going into 2016.
28 Movies to Look Forward to in 2016
Amid the usual franchise fare and long-awaited sequels are a handful of original works to get excited about.
What Is the Future of Higher Education?
Experts in the field offer their reasons for optimism and pessimism going forward.
Can Schools Be Fixed?
Experts on K-12 education offer their reasons for optimism and pessimism going forward.
2015: The Year in Politics and Policy
A roundup of some of our favorite stories that we published in the past year.
Brave New War
A new form of conflict emerged in 2015—from the Islamic State to the South China Sea.
Will Inequality Ever Stop Growing?
Experts on the economy and the labor market offer their reasons for optimism and pessimism going into 2016.
2015: The Year in Race Relations
From Ferguson to Charleston, longstanding problems erupted back into public view.
Can the Planet Be Saved?
Experts on ecology, conservation, and climate change offer their reasons for optimism and pessimism going into 2016.
A 2016 TV Preview
A guide to the returning hits and new shows on network, cable, and streaming services
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Education in 2015 Visualized
Some of the most important issues of the year, from school discipline in elementary schools to students saddled with debt long after graduation.
2015: The Year in Presidential Politics
Over the last 12 months, some candidates soared as others stumbled.
Disappearing Presidential Candidates
You were ruthless, 2015.
2015: The Year in Nostalgia
Remember when?
Congress's Surprisingly Productive Year
The House and Senate passed more significant pieces of legislation than at any time since early in President Obama’s first term.
The 50 Best Podcast Episodes of 2015
A year’s worth of highlights from an increasingly vibrant genre
The World Events That Mattered Most in 2015
China built islands, Putin attacked Syria, and refugees flooded Europe.
Hollywood's Spotty Record on Improving Racial Diversity in 2015
Embarrassing incidents aside, audiences are over white-washed entertainment
The Best Food Books of 2015
The top cookbooks and culinary histories of the year
The Best Television Shows of 2015
Staff selections from a year of great TV
2015: The Best Year in History for the Average Human Being
Violence dominated the headlines this year. But by many measures, humanity is in better shape than it’s ever been.
The Year in Justice and Policing
Deaths, protests, and reforms
The Best Movies of 2015
The Atlantic’s film critic picks the top titles—and doles out some less conventional awards.
The Best Television Episodes of 2015
Staff selections from a year of great TV
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The Global Conflicts to Watch in 2016
Concerns about the Middle East, and especially Syria, have displaced other threats.
The Year in Sports Scandals
2015 was a good year for bad athletics.
Our Favorite Songs of 2015
Staff selections, from Drake to Hamilton to Courtney Barnett
Five Books We Missed in 2015
And the titles their authors say they loved
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How Comedy Soared in 2015
From Amy Schumer to late night’s new guard to Obama on ‘WTF,’ the medium proved it can thrive both in and outside the traditional network model.
The Best Book I Read This Year
The Atlantic’s editors and writers share their favorite titles—new, classic, or somewhere in between—from a year of reading.