Articles

Patrimonialism

Stephen Hanson and Jeffrey Kopstein argue that to understand President Trump, we must see him as part of a worldwide return to clientist and patrimonial authority.

Children of Light and Children of Darkness

When Melvin Rogers went looking for insight about politics today, he skipped over his old friend John Dewey and chose Reinhold Niebuhr.

More on Saving the Open Society

An 'open society' doesn’t endure simply because it promises freedom. Without a deeper sense of purpose, sacrifice, and shared values, people will turn to the structure and certainty of closed societies. Liberalism’s weakness lies in its rejection of the very virtues—duty, listening, loyalty, and struggle—that give life meaning. If an 'open society' cannot offer something equally compelling, people will inevitably seek purpose elsewhere.

The Danger of the Woke Right
 

Clinging to grievance—whether from the left or the right—only deepens our suffering and keeps us trapped in cycles of reactivity. This article reflects on how the desire to control language and define oppression, once wielded by one side, is now embraced by the other, showing that without awareness, we simply mirror what we resist rather than finding a path beyond it.

A More Open Society

The future demands a genuinely open and participatory society—one built on awareness, deep listening, and ethical responsibility. Yet history moves in cycles, and the rise of strong gods reflects a reaction to the excesses of an "open society." The struggle is not openness vs. closure, but participation vs. domination. Power must be returned to the people through institutions that prevent both stagnation and authoritarianism. Governance must be driven by engagement, where citizens actively shape their future. The challenge is not just to defend an "open society," but to ensure openness does not become its own form of exclusion.

Deep Reading

Deep reading isn’t about luxury retreats or escaping the modern world—it’s about the rare moments when a book holds your full attention, even amidst life’s demands. The struggle is real, but the hope lies in those stolen minutes, where a single passage can change everything.

A Constitutional Crisis?

Is the U.S. facing a constitutional crisis, or is it all political theater? This analysis breaks down the escalating tensions between the executive branch and the courts—separating fact from fiction and exploring what’s really at stake for American democracy.

Only Power Can Check Power
 

Hannah Arendt saw America’s strength in its dispersion of power, rooted in civic engagement and local governance. As executive authority expands, the true challenge is not just legal resistance but the reinvigoration of collective action. Can we reclaim the founding spirit of self-governance, or will we cede our power to those who seek to consolidate it?

Project Presidential Power

The consolidation of presidential power through executive actions and the theory of the unitary executive poses a fundamental threat to the constitutional separation of powers and democracy, exacerbated by media failures to address these actions beyond partisan framing.