Without the glue of a shared national narrative, probably not.
Books
Book reviews and essays from the Washington Monthly on the new books shaping debates over politics, policy, history, and American democracy.
Posted inApril/May/June 2022
Can Democrats Hold Georgia?
The party did everything right to win the state in 2020—and the Republicans did everything wrong.
Posted inApril/May/June 2022
On the Basis of Sex
The amazing success and frustrating challenges of Title IX.
Posted inApril/May/June 2022
Moderation in the Name of Liberty is No Vice
Francis Fukuyama’s calm evisceration of illiberalism on the left and right.
Posted inApril/May/June 2022
The Strike Zone
Little-known labor heroes provide a path forward for today.
Posted inBooks
What the New Democrats’ Mistakes Taught Us About Fighting Inequality
A new book chronicles the Clinton-era model of community lending—and where it went wrong.
Posted inBooks
Fight Misinformation with Education, Not Censorship
A new book on the history of speech rights sheds light on the titanic battles over social media, anti-vaxxers, and what to do about Joe Rogan.
Posted inJanuary/February/March 2022
How Buster Keaton Became a Digital Meme
The great silent film actor-director invented much of the language of cinema. It still speaks to us on our cell phones.
Posted inJanuary/February/March 2022
Accidents Waiting to Happen
The folly of blaming individuals for fatalities that could have been prevented.
