The Pope of Progress?
Francis made progressive politics his lodestar. The result was a failed papacy.
As he began his papacy, the Argentinian Jorge Bergoglio SJ, known to the world as Pope Francis, indicated that he would lead a humanitarian-democratic rehabilitation of the Catholic Church as it continued to shepherd its flock towards the future. While his commitment expressed many left progressive politics and policies, it also informed his primary responsibility, and skewed the way he understood his role as guardian of the Church’s judgments on faith and morals.
Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis continued to demonstrate a self-elevating sentimentalism rooted in cosmic standards of justice and applied it to different world problems he deemed crucial, such as illegal immigration, climate change, or economic inequality. He saw himself as a pope of the future, showing the Church how to keep up with the times. Instead, his legacy already seems passé.
Politics
National Civitas Institute Poll: Americans are Anxious and Frustrated, Creating a Challenging Environment for Leaders
The poll reveals a deeply pessimistic American electorate, with a majority convinced the nation is on the wrong track.
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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.
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Long Distance Migration as a Two-Step Sorting Process: The Resettlement of Californians in Texas
Here we press the question of whether the well-documented stream of migrants relocating from California to Texas has been sufficient to alter the political complexion of the destination state.
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Who's That Knocking? A Study of the Strategic Choices Facing Large-Scale Grassroots Canvassing Efforts
Although there is a consensus that personalized forms of campaign outreach are more likely to be effective at either mobilizing or even persuading voters, there remains uncertainty about how campaigns should implement get-out-the-vote (GOTV) programs, especially at a truly expansive scale.
Parliament, Country, and Friendship
James Grant’s delightful Friends Until the End also has much to tell us about the character of statesmen and the power (and limits) of rhetoric.
Why Can’t We Have a Real Filibuster?
The history of congressional reform is the history of unintended consequences.
