The Political Scene
The characters and issues shaping American politics.
Lori Lightfoot Makes Her Case to Chicago
The embattled mayor—often blamed for the city’s high crime and low morale—has presided over many crises, not all of her own making. Can she win a second term?
February 25, 2023
What Is Ron DeSantis Doing to Florida’s Public Liberal-Arts College?
DeSantis is not simply inveighing against progressive control of institutions. He is using his powers as governor to remake them.
February 22, 2023
Why Is Nikki Haley Running for President?
The announcement from Trump’s U.N. Ambassador that she is challenging her former boss in the Republican primary was met with some derision, but it would be a mistake to underestimate her.
February 19, 2023
The Myth of the Iowa Caucuses Got Busted
The Democratic Party charts a new path for its Presidential candidates, avoiding the cornfields.
February 9, 2023
What the Twitter Files Reveal About Free Speech and Social Media
The company’s internal documents were supposed to prove a progressive agenda—mostly, they have exposed the limitations of the platform and its new owner.
January 11, 2023
The Political Mystery of Kyrsten Sinema
Surely there’s some electoral calculation behind the Arizona senator’s decision to leave the Democratic Party, but the timing is especially confusing.
December 14, 2022
How Raphael Warnock Defeated Herschel Walker in Georgia’s U.S. Senate Runoff
The race was a test of candidate quality in an era of fierce partisanship, and it remained, until the end, extremely close.
December 7, 2022
Herschel Walker and the Fate of the Right-Wing Celebrity Populist
In Tuesday’s Senate runoff, one idea about how Trump changed conservatism may hit a dead end.
December 2, 2022
When Election Deniers Concede
In the midterms, voters rejected Stop the Steal candidates in critical swing states. Is the democracy crisis over?
November 17, 2022
Larry Krasner and the Limits of “Law and Order”
In Pennsylvania and elsewhere, many candidates who focussed on crime failed to win elections.
November 16, 2022
