Analysis
How Politics Becomes Religion
The sheer ferocity of contemporary politics suggests that, for many people, it’s their real religion. […]
Supreme Court
The Dispatch
Meet the likely nominees for the next Supreme Court justice
President Trump reportedly spent the last weekend interviewing candidates for the position, and insiders say that he has narrowed it to three people. […]
The Dispatch
Justice Anthony Kennedy’s conflicted and confusing legacy
As attention shifts to the succession fight, it’s important not to lose sight of the role Kennedy played for the light it can shed on […]
The Dispatch
Anthony Kennedy: Reagan’s Worst Mistake
The price we paid for the borking of Robert Bork. […]
The Dispatch
What’s next after the “Masterpiece Cakeshop” ruling?
This case was ultimately about what citizenship demands and permits. There will be a next case, and it will probably be much more troubling. […]
Books
Collection of speeches reveals the traditional, generous spirit of the late Justice Antonin Scalia
Scalia points out that underneath the “living constitution” idea lies a fallacy: that societies always evolve toward more freedom, and therefore constitutions must evolve with […]
The Dispatch
Legislative chaplaincies and First Amendment’s ban on an “establishment” of religion
Some context and insights from Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971) and Marsh v. Chambers (1983). […]
The Dispatch
Two SCOTUS cases may well reveal “the demon in democracy”
Cases from California and Colorado involving two different social issues—abortion and same-sex marriage—raise the same question about free speech and conscience. […]
Columns
The Darkness Gathers: Why public discussion has become increasingly irrational
A regime of pyramiding illusions that substitutes abuse for argument can’t last forever, and many wonder what will end it. […]
The Dispatch
Upcoming SCOTUS cases raise serious questions about religious freedom, First Amendment rights
And as these cases work their way through the judicial process, observers are conscious of an even larger question about the Supreme Court. […]