Rigorous political analysis for readers who want to understand the system, not just react to it.
The Distance Between Design and Delivery When Congress passes legislation creating new regulatory frameworks, the public discourse typically focuses on the political theater surrounding the bill’s passage. What gets far less attention is the much more complex process of translating…
The Surface Appeal of Legislative Control When regulatory agencies seem to overstep their bounds or operate without enough transparency, the political response is predictable: Congress must exercise stronger oversight. This impulse sounds democratically reasonable. After all, unelected bureaucrats who wield…
The Theater of Enforcement When Attorney General Merrick Garland walked into the House Judiciary Committee hearing room last June, both sides knew the script. Republicans would demand classified documents. Garland would cite executive privilege. Chairman Jim Jordan would threaten contempt.…
The Deceptively Complex World of Water Law When the Supreme Court issued its ruling in Navajo Nation v. Department of Interior last June, most Americans probably didn’t notice. Water rights cases rarely make headlines unless there’s a drought emergency or…
The Mechanical Reality of Alternative Voting Systems Ranked choice voting has become the darling of electoral reformers across the political spectrum. They promise it will solve everything from polarization to spoiler effects. The system lets voters rank candidates in order…