19th century police

The Birth of the “Policed Society”

Over the course of the nineteenth century policing became increasingly professionalized.
Bryan Sewall campaign poster

Populism for Beginners

If the appeal of Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, and Brexit can all be described as "populist," then what is populism?
Campaign graphics

Party Conventions and the Political Amateur

As the Republican and Democratic party conventions approach, many wonder which way the "political amateur" delegates will vote.
Andrew Jackson

Why Do They Build Party Platforms, Anyway?

What is the point of the party platforms unveiled at political conventions? 
War headlines

Do Terrorists Ever Win?

Surveying the purported objectives of 28 international terrorist groups and determining whether these groups achieved their aims.
White House at night

Publishing the Presidents

President Obama made news for being the first President to publish a scholarly article while in office. Many past Presidents can be found in JSTOR. 
Fasces illustration

Do You Know Fascism When You See It?

It may seem obvious, but a generic definition of fascism has been hard to pin down. 
Jefferson and Adams

The First Ugly Election: America, 1800

The 1800 election saw America's first contested presidential campaigns: Thomas Jefferson vs. John Adams.
Declaration of Independence

Who Wrote the Declaration of Independence?

The Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Thomas Jefferson was not then credited with its authorship.
David Petraeus and Paula Broadwell

Why Some Politicians Bounce Back from Scandal

Three years ago, then-CIA director General David Petraeus resigned amid scandal: He'd had an affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell.