The Place Where It All Starts
At Starting Points, we take the long view of American politics. Non-partisan and interdisciplinary, we aim to understand American politics by looking before and beyond our current political situation—before to the historical, cultural and intellectual roots of American politics, and beyond to the overarching ideas and guiding ideals of our unique political tradition.
While giving a campaign interview in 2014, Matthew Whitaker, at the time a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in the state of Iowa, was asked to name the worst Supreme Court decisions in history. Marbury v. Madison (1803) immediately came to Whitaker’s mind. “There are so many (bad rulings),” Whitaker told his interviewer. “I would […]
With dysfunction the current watchword in American politics, the public is naturally looking for solutions. The checks and balances offered by three coequal branches of government are the remedy most frequently advanced for this task. But we should exercise caution in endorsing this idea as a cure for our political ills. While there is no […]
A Political Theory Review interview with Seyla Benhabib, Eugene Meyer Professor of Political Science and Philosophy at Yale University, about her recent book Exile, Statelessness, and Migration (Princeton University Press, 2018). Hear more interviews from The Political Theory Review.
A Political Theory Review interview with Devin Stauffer, Associate Professor of Government at the University of Texas at Austin, about his recent book Hobbes’ Kingdom of Light (University of Chicago Press, 2018). Hear more interviews from The Political Theory Review.
