Books and Ideas

The signing of the US Constitution in 1787, in a painting by Junius Brutus Stearns.

Will America Ever Give White-Man Rights to Everyone Else? Will America Ever Give White-Man Rights to Everyone Else?

If we want to make it another 250 years, the Constitution is going to have to do a lot more than protect individual political and civil rights.

Jun 23, 2026 / Feature / Elie Mystal

Nation Poetry

DEADHEADING DEADHEADING

Jun 23, 2026 / Poems / Jane Wong

Frederick Douglass petitions Abraham Lincoln to allow Black soldiers to fight in the Union Army during the Civil War (in a 1943 mural by the African American artist William Edouard Scott).

The American Revolution’s Long Tail The American Revolution’s Long Tail

Throughout US history, social movements—from reformist to radical—have returned to the language and ideals of 1776.

Jun 22, 2026 / Feature / Richard Kreitner

Lyn Hejinian’s Republic of Readers

Lyn Hejinian’s Republic of Readers Lyn Hejinian’s Republic of Readers

In the poet's last work, Lola the Interpreter, she treats her readers as true interlocutors, inviting them into the act of interpretation alongside her.

Jun 22, 2026 / Books & the Arts / Angie Sijun Lou

Lessons From the People’s Historian, Howard Zinn

Lessons From the People’s Historian, Howard Zinn Lessons From the People’s Historian, Howard Zinn

His take on history arms youth with the courage to “transform the world.” It’s no wonder the right aims to erase it.

Jun 19, 2026 / Feature / Dave Zirin

Franklin Delano Roosevelt knew that economic security was fundamental to democracy.

We Can Still Realize FDR’s Vision We Can Still Realize FDR’s Vision

Roosevelt understood that freedom that extends from economic security.

Jun 18, 2026 / Feature / Harvey J. Kaye

In 1877, Congress convened to settle the disputed presidential election between Samuel Tilden and Rutherford B. Hayes.

We Must Restore Congress as the Predominant Branch of Government We Must Restore Congress as the Predominant Branch of Government

The promise of democratic governance was stolen from the people. We must win it back.

Jun 17, 2026 / Feature / Jamie Raskin

Lin-Manuel Miranda (center) and the cast of “Hamilton” perform at the Tony Awards in New York City.

Alexander Hamilton, the Wrong Founder Alexander Hamilton, the Wrong Founder

Dismantling the cult of personality created around the founding era's plutocratic foe of democracy.

Jun 16, 2026 / Feature / William Hogeland

Israeli director Nadav Lapid at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival.

The Curious Case of the Nadav Lapid Boycott Campaign The Curious Case of the Nadav Lapid Boycott Campaign

In seeking to punish artists for ties to Israeli organizations, are boycotters choosing the right targets?

Jun 15, 2026 / Ben Schwartz

In 1774, the First Continental Congress opened with a prayer—a decision that inspired some sectarian squabbling—but in the new nation that followed, the founders were determined to keep church and state separate.

Separation of Church and State: America’s Best Idea Separation of Church and State: America’s Best Idea

Christian nationalists keep forgetting what the country’s founders kept writing down.

Jun 15, 2026 / Feature / John Fugelsang

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