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It feels like a century ago that Donald Trump stood on the west front of the U.S. Capitol and was sworn in for a second time, promising to seize the Panama Canal, slap tariffs on the world, dispatch troops to the southern border, and let Elon Musk chop down the federal government. But while the past 11 months have often been exhausting and dispiriting, they’ve also been invigorating for us at the Washington Monthly as we generate new ideas to take on MAGA, never flinch from criticizing liberals and Democrats, and offer reporting and analysis that explains what’s really going on.
We’re not calling these 11 pieces our best (although they are among them), nor are they among our most widely read (though many are), but they are representative of the continued breadth and inventiveness of this magazine in its 56th year.
Of course, it takes readers like you to keep our work going, so we hope, in an age of corporate and consolidating media, you’ll support our non-profit, independent voice. Meanwhile, if you’ve read these before, see how they held up, and if you haven’t, you’re in for a treat. We’re proud of them.
The Meager Agenda of Abundance Liberals
What the Democratic Party’s most buzzed-about policy movement gets right—and wrong.
The Broadband Story Abundance Liberals Like Ezra Klein Got Wrong
When the New York Times columnist told the Daily Show host about out-of-control regulations ruining a Biden administration rural broadband program, the clip went viral, with Elon Musk’s help. But the story wasn’t true—and the telecom monopolies who were the real saboteurs are still laughing.
J.D. Vance Is the Most Disliked New Vice President in History
The public isn’t taking to his obnoxious style, which bodes well for politics in the post-Trump era.
In Kyiv’s Suburbs, Yearning for Peace, Preparing for More War
The town of Irpin commemorates three years since it held off the Russian invasion.
The Easy Way to Uphold Birthright Citizenship
Trump argues the Fourteenth Amendment created no such right, but the Supreme Court can preserve it simply by citing statutes.
Who Is Batya Ungar-Sargon?
A Berkeley-educated leftist who couldn’t bear drinking at a bar with Trump voters is now MAGA’s top defender. A tale for our times.
For Democrats, a New Way to Make Health Care Affordable
Most working Americans have employer-provided health coverage, and costs are out of control. Here’s a plan to save money, put checks in their pockets, and give Democrats a winning issue.
Donald Trump’s Blunderbuss Trade Plans
His indiscriminate use of tariffs is a recipe for disaster. He can learn a lot from the Biden administration’s targeted approach.
SNAP-Ed’s Demise Exposes MAHA’s Hypocrisy
The nation’s largest nutrition education program helped millions of low-income Americans make healthier food choices.
It’s Not Just a Constitutional Crisis in the Trump Era. It’s Constitutional Failure
The problem isn’t just the crisis of the administration defying the courts. It’s the failure of the legislative and judicial branches to check the president.
In Defense of Everything-Bagel Liberalism
Critics warned that the Biden administration put so many conditions on the grants it offered to semiconductor manufacturers that the centerpiece of its industrial policy would fail. Those conditions turned out to be key to the program’s success.
