American car-dependency is a pernicious form of unfreedom that makes us less mobile, our economy less dynamic, and all of us less free.
Author Archives: Marshall Bursis
The Democrats’ Tax Problem
The inability of the current Democratic coalition to raise revenue poses a fundamental problem for the future of center-left politics in America.
Departmentalism and the Eviction Moratorium
Bipartisan critics have called the Biden administration’s recent extension of the CDC’s eviction moratorium unconstitutional, but these assessments ignore the history of departmentalism and the important and legitimizing role of the Court’s comprehensive written opinions—something missing in Justice Kavanaugh’s curt concurrence.
On the Meaning of Elections
Elections are not merely the mechanism by which we allocate political power. We derive meaning from their outcomes. They are historical markers that we use to inform our understanding of the past—and the present.
The Ethics of “Common-Good Constitutionalism”
Sparking immediate controversy among legal scholars, Harvard law professor Adrian Vermeule’s essay “Beyond Originalism” rejects originalism as merely an instrument to achieve conservative judicial outcomes. To replace it, he advocates for a theory of constitutional interpretation called “common-good constitutionalism”… Even if one agrees with the ends Vermeule seeks, they should be troubled by his means.
Joe Biden and The Case for an Empathetic President
The most compelling argument for Joe Biden’s candidacy is not his 36 years of legislative experience in the U.S. Senate, nor is it his eight years of executive experience as Vice President. It is also not his prevailing centrism and commitment to compromise in an era of hyper-polarization and gridlock. Biden’s greatest qualification is his most human—his empathy.
An Antidote to Individualism
Frank Capra’s 1946 film It’s a Wonderful Life has become a Christmas classic. However, the story of George Bailey and the community of Bedford Falls resonates outside the movie’s holiday context… The story is unique in an American culture saturated with a spirit of meritocracy and individualism.
The Entrepreneurial Case for Universal Healthcare
In American politics, legislative efforts to create universal access to health insurance usually come from the ideological left. Yet, in Europe, political parties of both the right and the left share broad commitments to continued government intervention in and subsidies of health-insurance markets… Why the difference? Messaging might explain part of the divergent thinking across the Atlantic.
New Frontier 