The United States Is Badly In Need of Democratic Reform
America’s political institutions are designed to keep democracy at bay. But evidence is mounting that Americans have had enough and want reform.
19597 Articles by: Tanner Howard
Tanner Howard is a freelance journalist and In These Times editorial intern. They’re also a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.
The Pandemic Is Hurting Trump in Rural America
One in four rural households have been unable to get the medical care they need during the coronavirus pandemic. Rural Americans have been struggling to obtain and afford care like never before, and Donald Trump could end up paying the price in November.
The Teachers’ “Red for Ed” Movement Is Far From Dead
In 2018, the “Red for Ed” teachers’ strike wave exploded, first in West Virginia, then in Oklahoma, Arizona, and beyond. It shook the foundations of public education and teacher unionism in America — and may play a key role in fighting COVID-19–induced education austerity in the near future.
We Still Need to Abolish the Electoral College
Since its establishment, the Electoral College has stood out as one of America’s most unpopular political institutions. But the long history of failed reform attempts hasn’t made this outmoded institution any less undemocratic — it’s time we finally abolished the Electoral College.
Supreme Court Expansion Isn’t Even a Tough Call
To court pack, or not to court pack? That is the question Democrats are doing everything they can to avoid answering — even though Republicans have been successfully packing the courts for years.
It’s a Prime Day for Resistance To Amazon’s Ruthless Exploitation of Its Workers
Amazon and Jeff Bezos have made a killing from the pandemic while underpaid warehouse employees have to work in unsafe, unsanitary conditions. On Prime Day, the most lucrative date on the company calendar, workers are organizing to challenge “Amazon capitalism.”
To Stop an Electoral Coup, Study What Went Wrong in the 2000 Florida Recount
As the possibility of Donald Trump trying to undemocratically snatch the 2020 presidential election seems increasingly likely, we should look to a previous successful attempt by Republicans to seize the presidency while the Democratic Party all but stood by helplessly: the 2000 election’s Florida recount.
Inside the NYC Democratic Socialists’ Powerhouse Electoral Machine
The New York City Democratic Socialists of America has built an electoral powerhouse with no paid staff and just a few years of political experience. Here’s how they pulled it off.
“Jerusalema” Is About Self-Determination
The South African house track “Jerusalema” has rocketed around the world, becoming a viral sensation. But it’s no common pop song — it speaks to a growing desire across Africa to remake and reimagine the world.
For Rudolf Hilferding, Socialism Was About Freedom
Austrian socialist Rudolf Hilferding, author of the magisterial Finance Capitalism, used the tools of Marxism to develop a rigorous understanding of the changing capitalist economy while making the case for a socialism that put freedom and democracy at the center of the project.
Donald Trump Took Advantage of the US’s Legalized Corruption
Donald Trump is deeply corrupt. That corruption is a product of the larger kleptocratic system, created by a judiciary that would favor the rich even more with Amy Barrett on the Supreme Court.
The Disaster of Privatized Banking in Mexico
Since the 1990s, Mexico’s banks have been privatized, bailed out, and sold off, resulting in a massive upward transfer of wealth. The AMLO administration is introducing a public option for basic banking, but it must go further to rein in the untrammeled power of the banks.
Israel’s Peace Process Was Always a Road To Nowhere
Two decades after the peace process expired between the Camp David and Taba summits, many look back with nostalgia at the Oslo Accords between Israel and the PLO. But historian Ilan Pappe argues that the failure of Oslo to deliver Palestinian sovereignty was baked into the process from the start.
The Hundreds of Thousands of Stranded Maritime Workers Are the Invisible Victims of the Pandemic
Hundreds of thousands of maritime workers remain stranded at sea because many countries refuse to classify them as “essential workers” and because shipowners are prioritizing profits over worker safety. Seafarers have suffered enough — it’s time to bring them home.
The Working-Class Cinematic Legacy of Film Noir
In the stiflingly reactionary cultural atmosphere of postwar America, most filmmakers didn’t talk much about class. But there was one significant exception: film noir was the most class-conscious genre of motion picture America has ever produced.
Offshore Wind Energy, Not Nuclear, Is the Future
States across Europe and East Asia are closing nuclear reactors and replacing much of their electricity-generating capacity with offshore wind energy. Socialists should embrace the growth of this industry — and use green reindustrialization to fight for well-paid, stable jobs.
Defund the US Military and Rebuild the United States
Entire sectors of the economy are now invested in a state of permanent war and surveillance. Here’s what it would mean to defund the US military and put that money to meeting human need instead.
The Fighting Between Armenia and Azerbaijan Has Halted — But a Deep-Rooted Conflict Remains
This morning, Azerbaijan and Armenia agreed to a cease-fire after almost two weeks of fighting over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. But like after the last truce in 1994, there can be no enduring peace without a political solution — one that overcomes the violent legacy of the Soviet collapse in the Caucasus.
We Can’t Ignore Rural Voter Resentment
Political scientist Katherine J. Cramer has studied the changing political attitudes of rural Wisconsinites — a group that helped put Donald Trump in the White House. “Rural resentment” may not get much attention, but it’s a real and powerful force in US politics.
Most Oil Workers Haven’t Heard of the “Just Transition” — But They Do Want To Save Our Planet
While the Green New Deal argues for a “just transition” for fossil fuel industry workers, a new study shows few such workers have heard of the term. Workers can play a decisive role in greening the economy — but only if their own concerns and expertise are central to the transition process.