The Agony of Paul Ryan
by Pete SpiliakosThe wonky, compromising Ryan was a very useful fellow—but Republicans couldn’t leave well enough alone. Continue Reading »
When Things Fall Apart
by Ephraim RadnerChristians in America are increasingly like Christians in Egypt, determining under which enemy one can perhaps survive. Continue Reading »
Where I Was Wrong Part I: The Filibuster
by Pete SpiliakosIf we don’t give voters a more accountable Congress, don’t be surprised if they want an unaccountable president to take down a corrupt and unresponsive system. Consider Trump a warning. Continue Reading »
Does the Goldwater Comparison Really Hold Up?
by Geoffrey KabaserviceGoldwater by 1964 was the unquestioned leader of the emerging conservative movement. Trump, by contrast, has channeled a populist impulse that has yet to become a movement. It’s true that his candidacy has resonated deeply with a segment of the population and has similarities with other right-wing, anti-immigrant movements in Europe. But at this point he heads a personal, candidate-centric campaign. Continue Reading »
Goldwater Déjà vu
by Russell E. SaltzmanWhatever variety of outsider populism Trump awakened, he’s walked all over it. His collapse in early polling heralds a Republican debacle. Nothing like it has happened since Goldwater. Continue Reading »
The Cheapest Date in American Politics?
by Greg ForsterDavid French says social conservatives risk becoming a laughingstock. Unfortunately, he understates his case. Continue Reading »
After Reaganism: What’s Next for Traditional Conservatives?
by Carson HollowayIf Reaganism as a political program is dead, then politically active religious conservatives must think about what new political coalition they might join with a view to defending their core principles and otherwise promoting the common good. Continue Reading »
Homelessness, Party-Style
by George WeigelCatholics aren’t wrong to feel that the Democrats and the Republicans have left them. Continue Reading »
The Tempering of Democracy
by David T. KoyzisMight we do well to admit, not that democracy is a bad thing, but that too much democracy can harm a country's constitution? Continue Reading »
The Passé Passes Again
by Pete SpiliakosThe Republicans are reliving the Democratic Party's nightmares. The cancelled Donald Trump event of Friday March 11 seemed to presage 1968-style disruptions at political events, but 1968 might not be the right analogy. As the party of tired myth and exhausted agenda, the Republicans of 2016 most . . . . Continue Reading »
America's most
influential
journal of
religion and
public life
Subscribe
Latest Issue
Support First Things
influential
journal of
religion and
public life
Subscribe
Latest Issue
Support First Things
Filter Tag Articles
Subscribe Today!
