Commentary

Across Civitas Outlook and the broader media landscape, our scholars provide timely insights into issues of national significance.

Trump, Lincoln and a ‘Habeas Corpus Threat’

Prof. John Yoo replies to William Galston.

John Yoo
Constitutionalism
May 18, 2025
Donald Trump Has Scrambled the Old Class Allegiances

Oligarchs, professionals and the working class are all divided among themselves.

Joel Kotkin
Politics
May 14, 2025
The Originalist Case for Birthright Citizenship

A Supreme Court guided by originalist principles should affirm the constitutionality of birthright citizenship.

John Yoo, Robert Delahunty
Constitutionalism
May 9, 2025
The High Cost of California’s Green Energy Policies

California can only prosper if it can develop affordable, reliable energy from all sources, including the state’s fossil fuel supplies.

Joel Kotkin
Economic Dynamism
May 7, 2025
The Pope of Progress?
Politics
May 6, 2025
Faculty Viewpoint Diversity: An Instant Fix
Pursuit of Happiness
May 5, 2025
Bad News for America Doomers
Pursuit of Happiness
May 2, 2025
Religious Charter Schools Should Pass the Supreme Court Test
Pursuit of Happiness
Apr 29, 2025
Relief for Trump in Sight — If Supreme Court Special Session Reins in Rogue Judges
Politics
Apr 25, 2025
The Dangers of the Political Gender Gap
Politics
Apr 24, 2025
All commentary
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What Trump Can Learn from George W. Bush on Immigration Strategy
John Yoo
Politics
Apr 23, 2025
Trump Could Have a Strong Case to Revoke Harvard’s Tax-Exempt Status
John Yoo, Robert Delahunty
Politics
Apr 21, 2025
Can Democrats Exploit Trump’s Tariff Chaos?
Joel Kotkin
Politics
Apr 16, 2025
‘American Oasis’ Review: The Lure of the Desert
Joel Kotkin
Pursuit of Happiness
Apr 9, 2025
How to Broaden the Academic Tent
Jenna Silber Storey, Benjamin Storey
Pursuit of Happiness
Apr 8, 2025
Mahmoud Khalil Invites America to Judgment
Richard M. Reinsch II
Politics
Apr 7, 2025
Other

Content

Religious Exemptions?: What the Free Exercise Clause Means

A conversation among three religious liberty scholars on the Free Exercise Clause’s original meaning.

Andrew Koppelman, Michael McConnell, Vincent Phillip Muñoz
Constitutionalism
Apr 28, 2025
Partisan Trust in the Federal Reserve

This paper examines partisanship in public perceptions of the Federal Reserve.

Carola Binder, Cody Couture, Abhiprerna Smit
Economic Dynamism
Apr 22, 2025
The American Dream Is Not a Coin Flip, and Wages Have Not Stagnated

This paper challenges the prevailing narrative that stagnant wages are causing the American dream to fade. It contrasts subjective public opinion with revised objective intergenerational mobility measures.

Scott Winship
Economic Dynamism
Mar 6, 2025
Political Economy and the Rise of Commercial Humanism

Western attitudes toward commerce have transformed from early moral condemnation to a modern appreciation that sees trade as socially beneficial.

Erik Matson
Economic Dynamism
Feb 28, 2025
Rational Nondelegation

The nondelegation doctrine, which forbids Congress from transferring excessive power to the executive branch, has risen from the dead.

John Yoo
Constitutionalism
Feb 27, 2025
Liberal Democracy Reexamined: Leo Strauss on Alexis de Tocqueville

This article explores Leo Strauss’s thoughts on Alexis de Tocqueville in his 1954 “Natural Right” course transcript.

Raúl Rodríguez
Politics
Feb 25, 2025
Estimating the Productivity of Community Colleges in Paving the Road To Four-Year College Success

Despite a relatively rich literature on the community college pathway, the research base on the quality differences between these institutions has been decidedly thin.

Scott Carrell, Michal Kurlaender
Pursuit of Happiness
Feb 7, 2025

Law Talk

Welcome to Law Talk with Richard Epstein and John Yoo. Our show is hosted by Charles C. W. Cooke.

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The Three Whiskey Happy Hour

Steven Hayward brings you the Power Line Blog's perspective on the week's big headlines.

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Trump’s Drug Pricing Plan: Consequences for Innovation and Patient Access

Politics
Sept 15, 24
18:50

Virginia Postrel and Adam Thierer on Big Trends and Big Ideas in Dynamism

Economic Dynamism
Sept 15, 24
1:09:22

Joel Mokyr on American Dynamism vs. Techno-pessimism

Economic Dynamism
Sept 15, 24
1:04:30

Arthur Herman on Mobility, Markets, and Natural Law

Economic Dynamism
Sept 15, 24
45:04

Yuval Levin on How the Constitution Unified our Nation – and Could Again

Constitutionalism
Sept 15, 24
1:08:53
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