How To Be the President's Kid
From Alice Roosevelt to Hunter Biden, we've never been sure how to reconcile American democracy with American dynasties.
Executive Branch
The Best of Reason: Culture Warrior in Chief
The modern presidency is a divider, not a uniter. It has become far too powerful to be anything else.
What Should a Textualist Think about Trump's Claims of Presidential Immunity?
An interesting amicus brief urges the justices not to rely upon penumbras and emanations in construing the scope of Presidential immunity.
Are U.S. Strikes on Houthis Constitutional?
Joe Biden is the latest of a string of presidents to deny Congress its rightful role in war making.
Culture Warrior in Chief
The modern presidency is a divider, not a uniter. It has become far too powerful to be anything else.
Supreme Court Shows Little Interest in Investigating Executive Power under the Antiquities Act
Yet another case that Justice Kavanaugh would like to hear that does not interest enough of his colleagues.
The Lesson of COVID-19: Don't Give Government More Power
The pandemic showed that America's founders were right to create a system of checks and balances that made it hard for leaders to easily have their way.
The State of the Union Is Shouty
Plus: A listener asks the editors a question about progressive taxation in the United States.
Cheering From the Press Box
Also: Oppenheimer and Godzilla win at the Oscars, Virginia state lawmakers nuke plans for taxpayer-funded arena, and more...
Biden's Inaccurate and Inadequate Lip Service to Marijuana Reform Ignores Today's Central Cannabis Issue
The president has not expunged marijuana records or decriminalized possession, which in any case would fall far short of the legalization that voters want.
State of the Union (on Stimulants)
Plus: Illegal immigrants at Whole Foods, AI predicting homelessness, Chinese espionage, and more...
Biden Touts More Forever Wars, Breaking His 2021 Promises
In his State of the Union address, Biden promised indefinite U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Gaza, Yemen, and beyond.
Biden's Plan To Subsidize Homebuyers Won't Work
The president's laundry list of proposed tax credits would likely make the problem of high housing costs worse.
Biden Says He'll Make the Wealthy Pay More To Fix Social Security. Here's Why That Won't Work.
Raising the payroll tax cap could generate up to $1 trillion over 10 years, but Social Security faces a $2.8 trillion deficit.
Biden Is Wrong About Student Debt Forgiveness
Biden claims that billions in loan forgiveness is "good for the economy," but his plans will end up costing taxpayers almost $500 billion.
Not Again With the 'Shrinkflation,' Please
Shrinkflation is just inflation by another name, and two other facts to keep in mind during tonight's State of the Union address.
Julian Assange's Brother Will Attend the State of the Union Address as Rep. Thomas Massie's Guest
As Joe Biden gives his speech, the audience will include this reminder of the journalist he’s trying to jail.
The State of Our Biden Is Historically Frail
Who you gonna believe during Thursday's speech, the president's protectors or your lying eyes?
The Best of Reason: Commander in Chains: 7 Scenarios If Trump Is Jailed and Wins the Election
There is nothing in the Constitution that prevents an inmate from winning the presidency.
Rank Choices
Plus: A listener asks the editors for short quotes from fictional works that are representative of libertarian ideas.
Rudy Carey Was Pardoned, but the Unjust Law That Kept Him From Working Is Still on the Books
Virginia’s barrier crime law limits employment prospects for ex-offenders, who often find their way back into the penal system when they can’t find work.
Commander in Chains: 7 Scenarios If Trump Is Jailed and Wins the Election
There is nothing in the Constitution that prevents an inmate from winning the presidency.
The Supreme Court's Grant in Trump v. U.S. (UPDATED)
The justices reframed the question presented in the case and expedited its consideration.
SCOTUS Ponders the Implications of Prosecuting Gun Owners for a Crime Invented by Bureaucrats
Several justices seemed troubled by an ATF rule that purports to ban bump stocks by reinterpreting the federal definition of machine guns.
4 Reasons Trump Says a Judge Should Dismiss Charges in the Classified Documents Case
His lawyers assert presidential immunity and discretion, criticize an "unconstitutionally vague" statute, and question the special counsel's legal status.
What If Trump is Convicted?
My new article in the print issue of Reason on how things could get weird
Biden Is Trying To Motivate Voters Who Oppose Pot Prohibition. Maybe He Should Stop Supporting It.
The supposedly reformed drug warrior's intransigence on the issue complicates his appeal to young voters, who overwhelmingly favor legalization.
Jack Goldsmith on Why SCOTUS Should Review the D.C. Circuit's Decision on Presidential Immunity
The case raises an issue of high importance and the opinion may contain some loose reasoning.
The D.C. Circuit Unanimously Rejects Trump's Audacious Presidential Immunity Claim
The appeals court says it "cannot accept that the office of the Presidency places its former occupants above the law for all time thereafter."
Biden Reportedly Is Planning To Unilaterally Mandate Background Checks for All Gun Sales
A watchdog group cites ATF "whistleblowers" who describe a proposed policy that would be plainly inconsistent with federal law.
12 Senators Urge the DEA To Legalize Marijuana, Which Only Congress Can Do
Under the Controlled Substances Act, the agency does not have the discretion to "deschedule marijuana altogether."
Josh Hawley Thinks the White House Can Force an Aluminum Plant To Stay Open
Should there be any limits to a president's power to centrally plan the economy? Apparently not.
Tennessee Says Residents Can't Vote If They Have Lost Their Gun Rights
People who were disenfranchised based on felony convictions face a new obstacle to recovering their voting rights.
Accused of Dictatorial Ambitions, Trump Doubles Down on Authoritarianism
His understanding of effective leadership and policing should repel anyone who cares about civil liberties and the rule of law.
Donald Trump's Demand for Absolute Immunity for Crimes Committed While President Goes Far Beyond the Qualified Immunity Police Officers Get
Qualified immunity is a badly flawed doctrine the Supreme Court should abolish. But Trump's demands are much more extreme.
Republican Presidential Nomination
DeSantis Down and Out
Plus: Javier Milei’s powerful speech on economic prosperity in Davos
Trump's Demand for 'Total' Presidential Immunity Reflects His Authoritarian Impulses
The former president argues that accountability is the enemy of effectiveness, both for cops and for politicians.
The Chevron Doctrine Discomfits the Weak
Excessive judicial deference gives administrative agencies a license to rewrite the law in their favor.
Does Biden Need Congressional Authorization for His Strikes Against the Houthis? [Updated]
The answer is likely "no" for US military action so far, because it is a defense against attack. But a broader conflict or one of much longer duration would be different.
How To Get Away With Murder (According to Trump's Lawyers)
Step 1: Become president. That's the hardest part.
D.C. Circuit Seems Skeptical of Trump's Alarmingly Broad Presidential Immunity Claim
As one appeals court judge pointed out, Trump's defense could literally let a president get away with murder.
How FDR Emasculated the Black Press in World War II
Instead of indulging in politically risky sedition prosecutions of the black press, the government relied on indirect methods of behind-the-scenes manipulation and intimidation.
Why Section 3 Disqualification Doesn't Require a Prior Criminal Conviction on Charges of Insurrection [Updated]
The reason is a combination of the general structure of our legal system and the original meaning of Section 3.
The D.C. Circuit Mulls Trump's Alarmingly Broad Claim of Presidential Immunity From Prosecution
His lawyers say no jury can ever consider charges based on his "official acts" as president, which include his efforts to reverse Joe Biden's election.
Biden Expands Pardons for Marijuana Possession
It's a commendable, but very modest, expansion of a step he took last year.
Biden Expands Pardons for Low-Level Federal Marijuana Offenders
The pardons freed no prisoners, but the White House says they will ease the burden of a criminal record.
Efforts to Show that Exempting the President from the Scope of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment isn't Absurd Underscore that it Actually is
Harvard law Prof. Larry Lessig's attempt to prove otherwise misfires.
Welcome to the Hyperbole Factory
Plus: A listener asks the editors to consider the libertarian argument against shopping local.
