Extremism is rattling the foundations of American society. Factual truth is under attack from the right. Core liberal values of free speech and tolerance are under attack from the left. Each side points to the other's extremism as justification for its own. Resolving these escalating culture wars is impossible as long as the battle is waged over abstractions such as reinterpreting history.
Read MoreAmericans are increasingly disaffected with Washington. Nor does either party enjoy the support of a plurality of voters. There are more independents than Democrats or Republicans. What do Americans want? For starters, they want things to work. Practical solutions to running schools, delivering healthcare, cleaning up the environment, and modernizing infrastructure shouldn't be that hard.
Read MoreThere’s a gaping hole in the pending infrastructure negotiations: How to build infrastructure without years of delay and ridiculous waste.
Read MoreThe defiance by Congresswoman Liz Cheney to Donald Trump and his “stolen election” narrative has now cost her a leadership position, and may prompt a schism within the Republican Party. This revolt could be good not only for principled conservatives, but for all Americans.
President Biden's speech to the nation presented a bold agenda – to rebuild infrastructure, expand education and healthcare, tackle climate change, provide jobs and childcare, and even "end cancer as we know it." President Biden called upon government "to prove democracy still works."
Read MoreBeing a cop is hard, and even harder when all police are tarred with the brush of isolated cops who abuse public trust. But it’s hard to fix this problem when police chiefs lack the authority to hold bad cops accountable.
Read MoreThe outpouring of enthusiasm for President Biden's $2 trillion infrastructure plan, like desert flowers after a rainstorm, shows how parched the public landscape is. But something is missing.
Read MoreIn his New York Times column, Bret Stephens makes a powerful case that both parties have strayed away from core values of liberal democracy. Serious Republican leaders embrace protectionism, nativist prejudices, and conspiracy theories. Powerful Democrats embrace identity politics, cancel culture, and a Manichean approach to public values.
Read MorePublic unions have erected an impenetrable barrier to good government. Collective bargaining agreements have destroyed accountability and bar common sense in running government. But what can we do about it? Union political power and long-term contracts prevent democratically-elected officials from making government work.
Read MorePresident Biden's theme of unity is hopeful and necessary. Most Americans are exhausted by identity politics and polarization. But what change is needed to bring Americans together again, and to reclaim shared values of individual and community responsibility?
Senator Angus King from Maine, in a 60 Minutes interview this week, talked about the importance of being an Independent in a divided Senate. The parties are divided into "distrustful, armed camps," where practical solutions are almost impossible because you "can't give the other side a victory."
Read MoreThe most compelling political statements today are those that focus on mutual respect and factual truth. But why does such a large group of Americans feel so alienated that they abandon basic civilized values?
Read MoreFor decades, Paul Volcker and other good government reformers called for overhauling federal civil service. Good candidates are repelled by rigid hiring protocols, by red tape management, and by the inability to get rid of poor performers. But almost no one paid attention.
Read MoreThe quickest way to get America moving is to clear out the bureaucratic jungle that has grown over the past five decades. Here are three reasons why people should care.
Read MoreThe presidential debate tonight will likely illuminate many differences between the candidates. But most voters have already made up their minds. How do the candidates attract the voters who are undecided? As in the 2016 election, a small percentage of voters in a few key states could swing the election.
Read MoreAmerica’s pathetic performance in dealing with COVID-19 is due to sluggish public institutions, not just the poor leadership of President Trump, authors John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge argued in a spirited discussion yesterday with columnist Megan McArdle and political scientist Francis Fukuyama.
Read MoreAmerica's efforts at dealing with COVID-19 have been much less effective than Germany, Denmark, and New Zealand, let alone Asian countries such as South Korea. What accounts for the differences?
Read MoreHow many Americans would support a party which stood for good government? Just imagine it: a plan to get schools working, to hold police and other public employees accountable, to cut red tape in healthcare ($1 trillion wasted) and infrastructure permits (doubling the cost), and, generally, to re-empower Americans to take responsibility again.
Read MoreRelatively few votes can swing elections, as Democrats learned in 2016. That’s why it seems odd that there’s virtually nothing in the Democratic platform about making government work better.
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