American federalism is often touted as a source of local democratic engagement, political innovation, and responsive public policy. But in practice, the American states have served not as “laboratories of democracy” but as laboratories of autocracy and inequality.
For years, conservative billionaires have treated Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas to opulent vacations and trips on their private jets. If these were anything other than disinterested gifts, then they’re taxable — and Thomas owes the IRS a huge bill.
Karl Marx started out in a liberal milieu where the primary concern was abolishing religious authoritarianism. In time, he came to believe that abolishing capitalism was necessary for true freedom — and that only the working class could do it.
A publicly owned intercity bus service with dedicated highway lanes could do for travelers what the US Postal Service does for letters and packages: let them criss-cross the country cheaply and quickly at their own convenience.
Christmas wasn’t always an apolitical holiday. During the Gilded Age, working-class Americans organized around a radical vision of Christ — until the Protestant establishment co-opted their energy.
The Christmas story reminds us that the hope of the world may come from the least likely places. Being a socialist means holding fast to this possibility.
The Biden economy's defenders claim it is delivering big gains to workers. But people are still feeling pain in their wallets and the rich are the ones benefiting the most.
The United Electrical Workers is joining other major US unions like the UAW in demanding a cease-fire in Israel’s war on Gaza. We spoke with a top officer about UE’s call for a cease-fire and solidarity with Palestine.
Ghaith Abdul-Ahad's A Stranger in Your Own City is a powerful account of the invasion and occupation of Iraq and its catastrophic effects on the Iraqi people. Every American should read it.
Joe Biden’s steadfast support for Israel puts him in more political peril than calling for a cease-fire would. Either he doesn’t realize there’s a new political reality or he simply doesn’t care.
Columbia and New York University are two of NYC’s biggest landowners, but they pay almost nothing in property taxes. Socialist state legislator Zohran Mamdani has proposed a bill to change that — and put the funds toward the city’s underfunded public colleges.
In Maestro, Bradley Cooper plays famed conductor Leonard Bernstein, but the film leaves out the complicating — and fascinating — real-life details for a more streamlined, tear-jerking product. It will doubtless do well at the Oscars.