The New Republic

by Darrin McMahonThose who concur with Bill Stuntz's lament about the poisonous and polarizing effects of too much religion in politics may want to listen to Barnard professor Randal Balmer's recent speech to the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco on that very issue. READ MORE >>

by Darrin McMahonI'm inclined to agree with David Bell, Ted Widmer, and David Greenberg about the use of the term "Islamo-Fascism." But I did hear a listener-comment on NPR today that might give us professors pause. The comment was a response to a very careful consideration of the term "fascism" by the noted historian of the French variety, Robert Paxton. READ MORE >>

As a fellow APSA attendee, let me offer an alternative explanation for Alan's observation that a lot more political scientists attended a clash of civilizations panel rather than one on the future of American Democracy--a diversity of opinion. READ MORE >>

Alan, the panel I attended that had by far the biggest turnout was on The American Constitutional Order After 9/11 and centered on the important questions of executive power and overreach--surely among the "threats to American democracy" that you suggested political scientists didn't care to hear about. READ MORE >>

Continuing the discussion of polarization: One of Cass's papers on the topic discusses the development of academic "schools" (law and economics or critical legal studies, for example) as such examples of group polarization and cascades. I read the paper, maybe against Cass's intention, as offering some good reason for homogeneity at one, early, intellectual stage of development. READ MORE >>

by Steven PinkerCass Sunstein calls attention to a feature of our psychology that is a major source of human folly. It's not a new discovery, though: There is a long line of research on this kind of phenomenon in social psychology, some going back the 1950s, under names like "risky shift," "group polarization," and "groupthink." See, for example, this READ MORE >>

In gracious response to my question about the desirability of a more populist Democratic Party, Brad DeLong writes, My natural home is in the bipartisan center.... Me too, Gogo. But, how long have we been homeless now? I forget. READ MORE >>

The difference between a veteran tennis player in a major tournament and a veteran journalist on serious assignment appears to be that the tennis player has to perform at least adequately or he'll be ridiculed off the court. I'm thinking of course of the recent performances of Andre Agassi and contrasting them with 1) Mike Wallace's recent interview with President Ahmadineijad of Iran and 2) Brian Williams' end of August interview with President Bush. Wallace's stumbling, falsely jocular, ill-informed, and even rude interrogation READ MORE >>

Today's Times has a piece speculating on whether Karl Rove's alleged magic at winning elections has worn off. I've always been skeptical of the claims of brilliance ascribed to Rove, who has never struck me as bright, and all of whose election victories (2000, 2002, 2004) have extremely close and in some cases open to doubt. READ MORE >>

On "Islamo-fascism," there is another important reason to avoid the term. Let's remember that one of the principal goals of Al Qaeda, like most terrorist groups throughout history, has been to get their opponents to inflate their importance. On this score, they have been without question the single most successful terrorists in history. READ MORE >>