Trump Undermined Civilian Control of the Military. With His Pentagon Pick, Biden Has Too.
Civilian control over the military still matters.
Law & Government
For the First Time Ever, the House Votes To Repeal the Federal Ban on Marijuana
The bill is unlikely to make headway in the Senate, but it could nudge President-elect Joe Biden toward more ambitious reforms.
Review of Ilya Shapiro's "Supreme Disorder"
One Ilya reviews a book written by another. Hopefully, this won't exacerbate #IlyaConfusion!
Another problem with self-pardons
A "self-pardon" might bring about exactly the prosecution it seeks to avoid.
Sneaking Section 230 Reform Into the Defense Bill Is a Terrible Idea
Plus: Bar food police strike in New York, study finds COVID-19 circulating in the U.S. last December, and more...
The Pardon Power May Be Broad, But that Does Not Mean a Self-Pardon Would Be Legit
President Trump pardoned a turkey and an agent of Turkey. Will he give himself a lame duck pardon next?
Thoughts on Today's Supreme Court Oral Argument in Trump v. New York
Many of the justices seem intent on avoiding the substantive issues at stake in a case challenging the legality of Trump's plan to exclude undocumented immigrants from the apportionment count for congressional representation.
Will Anybody Besides Michael Flynn Get Mercy from Lame Duck Trump?
The president has the worst record for clemency in modern history.
Will a Historic House Vote on Marijuana Legalization Nudge Biden Toward More Ambitious Reforms?
The MORE Act, which would repeal federal prohibition, is scheduled for a vote this week.
This Woman Permanently Lost Her Second Amendment Rights Because She Lied on Her Taxes
Is this the Supreme Court’s next big gun rights case?
Supreme Court Considers Whether Trump Can Block Immigrants From Census Counts
Plus: Pennsylvania rejects mail-in vote challenge, Facebook begs for regulation, and more...
What Does Trump's Post-Election Behavior Tell Us About American Politics?
Also: Thanksgiving tips and reasons for gratitude, from The Reason Roundtable
SCOTUS Postpones Argument Over Mueller Grand Jury Materials
This is one of several cases that could become moot within weeks.
D.C. Circuit Panel Splits on Lawfulness of Federal Execution Protocol (and Whether to Enjoin It).
The court improbably concludes that the execution protocol is illegal, but does not enjoin its use
Federal Circuit Court Rules Bans on LGBT Conversion Therapy for Minors Unconstitutional
A court split between Florida and California may mean an eventual Supreme Court decision.
Amicus Brief in the Congressional Apportionment Case Currently Before the Supreme Court
The brief filed by Univ. of Texas law professor Sanford Levinson and myself explains why the Trump administration's efforts to exclude undocumented immigrants from the apportionment count for allocating seats in the House of Representatives goes against the text and original meaning of the Constitution.
Prison Guards Who Forced Naked Inmate To Sleep in Sewage and Urine Were Given Qualified Immunity. SCOTUS Disagreed.
The legal doctrine is a free pass for rampant government abuse.
More Cops Say They Won't Enforce Coronavirus Curfews
Plus: Biden definitely wins Georgia, Alaskans approve ranked-choice voting, Facebook faces next antitrust lawsuit, and more...
Voters Wisely Chose Divided Federal Government
Anyone who was rooting for both "teams" to lose on Election Day should be fairly satisfied right now.
The Voters Eschewed Extremism on Election Day
Americans are nowhere close to embracing the radical left.
Trump's Attempts To Undo the Election Won't Work
The president's rhetoric and his campaign's actions are corrosive, but even the most powerful man on the planet can't control America's diffuse election system.
Dems Ask Trump Administration to Stop Executing Inmates Ahead of Biden Transition
The incoming administration opposes the death penalty, but the Justice Department has three more executions planned this year.
Senators Once Again Berate Twitter and Facebook CEOs for Content Decisions They Dislike
But what one side likes, the other side hates. There's no way Twitter and Facebook can appease them both.
Presidential Pardons Offer Trump a Way to Go Out on a Positive Note
If Trump isn’t interested, maybe the Biden administration could get started with a few acts of mercy.
Alito Rightly Slams Five Democratic Senators for 'Bullying' the Supreme Court
The senators warned that the Court might have to be "restructured" if it did not reach the conclusion they preferred in a Second Amendment case.
The Imperial Presidency Will Not End With Trump
"It's time that we start thinking about reining in the powers that we've let slip to this institution," says the Cato Institute's Gene Healy.
Transition Teams Assemble!
As the Biden-Harris campaign transitions to the Biden-Harris transition, they announce who will help staff the administration.
Libertarian Shane Hazel Is Proud To Be a Spoiler in Georgia Senate Race
Hazel tells angry partisans "Give me your tears. They are delicious." He campaigned against lockdowns and for peace, and earned nearly twice the number of votes in Georgia as L.P. presidential pick Jo Jorgensen.
Will Biden Use the Broad Pandemic-Fighting Powers Originally Claimed by Trump?
Trump claimed the power to issue a national eviction moratorium during COVID. Could that pave the way for the mask mandates Biden clearly wants?
A Simple Way to Help Protect DACA Against Legal Challenges
President-elect Joe Biden has promised to fully reinstate DACA. But such a move will surely be challenged in court. Here's an easy way to reduce the risk that such challenges might succeed.
SCOTUS Adds Another Appointments Clause Case to the Docket
When must claimants raise appointments-clause challenges?
Georgia Will Determine the Nation's Political Fate
No, we're not talking about the presidency.
Joe Biden's Endless River of Debt and Regulation
There are at least 11 trillion reasons to be very scared about what comes next.
Democrats' Crumbling Hopes of a Blue Wave Make Divided Government More Likely
A GOP Senate could act as a powerful check on a Biden administration.
California Voters Embrace Uber and Lyft While Rejecting Rent Control and Affirmative Action
Reason's roundup of state races and ballot initiatives
It Sure Looks Like Democrats Are Going To Retain Control of the House
It's been a good night for incumbents.
Today's Gubernatorial, Statehouse Races Will Set the Table for Redistricting Fights
Republicans rode an electoral wave in 2010 and used that perch to draw favorable congressional districts in many states. Will Democrats have the same opportunity after this year?
Snowden Announces Plans To Become Russian Citizen
The surveillance whistleblower has a child on the way and little sign a pardon is forthcoming.
Why Electing Biden (or Trump) Won't Settle Anything for Long
In an age of parties run by extremists, the next majority is just an election away, explains political scientist Morris P. Fiorina.
Why isn't Court-Packing Unconstitutional?
It is easy for originalists to reject challenges to court-packing; but the non-originalist arguments should be spelled out
Gavin Newsom's California Business Closures Are 'Autocratic, One-Man Rule,' Argues New Lawsuit
California's COVID-19 business closures have turned Ghost Golf into a shadow of its former self. Its owner is now suing the governor for the right to reopen.
Meat Bills Are on the Menu in Congress
America's meat supply has been hammered by COVID-19 outbreaks at many of the nation's largest meat processing plants, but Congress can solve this by reducing onerous regulations.
Dishonest Politics and Coronavirus Relief
Why people continue to trust government officials is a mystery.
A Big Tech Hearing As Pointless and Performative As Every Other One
Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai, and Jack Dorsey faced the music. The tune is becoming familiar.
Morris P. Fiorina: Why 'Electoral Chaos' Is Here To Stay
Whether Trump or Biden wins, the Stanford political scientist says "unstable majorities" will persist in the coming decade.
Invoking Scalia, Sotomayor Presses for Broad Fourth Amendment Protections
The Supreme Court weighs police shootings and unreasonable seizures in Torres v. Madrid.
Mark Zuckerberg to Congress: Please Regulate Us (Wink, Wink)
Plus: Unrest and looting in Philadelphia after the police shoot and kill a black man, Trump supporters stranded in Omaha, Biden faces new corruption allegations, and more...
