Whatever students decide to study as another school year begins, they need to learn skills that are good for them both as workers and as citizens in a democratic society. Civic skills include respecting people with different points of view while being able to address disagreements with clarity and care. One of the great things […]
With a political career built on fear and bizarre tales, Donald Trump squeaked through an Electoral College victory. As a candidate and president, Trump embraced conspiracy theories and often linked to racist and xenophobic statements. Now this rhetoric echoes through American politics, spoken in some form by people as varied as hateful murderers to establishment […]
Donald Trump has taken a sledgehammer to science and the core values of our republic. In 2016, Trump ran a political campaign proclaiming the United States was a mess and he alone could fix it, but he has damaged the ingredients of American greatness that prevailed in the post-war era. After World War II, the […]
The rich and well connected have great power and, given human nature, may use their power to help themselves and hurt others. Journalism isn’t the only way to hold accountable rich people and powerful organizations, but it’s an essential one. Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein were only in their twenties when they […]
As a Jew who had family members killed in the Holocaust, I’m agnostic about what to call facilities in the United States holding asylum seekers. But there’s one thing about which I’m certain: It’s wrong to treat immigrants in a dehumanizing way. Yet recently, we’ve seen horrific conditions. Infants and children in our care are […]
We have come a long way in the last half a century, but discrimination persists. We can’t let progress backslide.
Elected officials hold power on behalf of the people. Exerted within the bounds of institutional checks and balances, this push and pull keeps government in check and protects rights. Yet recently Sen. Susan Collins devalued her impact and President Donald Trump inflated his prerogatives. Both portraits of power were false and harmful to basic precepts […]
As Maine legislators consider replacing caucuses with presidential primaries, we should remember what happened the last time caucuses were held. My own memories are vivid. When I arrived at Bangor High School for the 2016 Democratic caucuses, there were long lines and many people milling about. On the positive side, there was a sense of […]
Bruce Poliquin lost his seat in Congress in November, but he hasn’t gone quiet. On Friday, the former congressman spoke to the annual meeting of the New England Political Science Association. With forks and plates clattering as conference-goers ate lunch, Poliquin gave a speech and took questions. After the luncheon, people were talking about the […]
All of what’s happened was not only utterly predictable, but was also not what the American people wanted.
