The Great Anchor

The Great Anchor

A Colonial Coming of Age

A Colonial Coming of Age

American self-government wasn't born on July 4, 1776. It was born over the eleven contentious years before it, in the colonial assemblies and town meetings where Americans first learned to govern themselves, and in the dispute-by-dispute fight with Parliament over who had the right to decide their laws and taxes.

The FoundingJames WallnerJuly 4, 2026Declaration of Independence, Self-GovernmentComment

The Tiny Rule That Can Paralyze Congress

The Tiny Rule That Can Paralyze Congress

CongressJames WallnerJuly 3, 2026Special Rules, House Rules Committee, Suspensions, House RulesComment

The Senate Blue Slip Process

The Senate Blue Slip Process

Congress, SenateJames WallnerJuly 1, 2026Confirmation Process, Blue SlipsComment

Firing the Senate Parliamentarian Won’t Solve the Problem

Firing the Senate Parliamentarian Won’t Solve the Problem

CongressJames WallnerJuly 1, 2026Senate ParliamentarianComment

The SAVE America Act Fight is Political Theater

The SAVE America Act Fight is Political Theater

CongressJames WallnerMarch 19, 2026Filibuster, Talking FilibusterComment

Politics in Flux

Politics in Flux

Trump’s success—like Cleveland’s—is a sobering wake-up call for America’s political and pundit class to rethink many of their own biases.

Elections, PresidencyJames WallnerNovember 14, 2024Donald Trump, Grover Cleveland, Kamala Harris, James G. Blaine, Realignment, Electoral CollegeComment

Ending Chevron Can't Solve Congress's Problems

Ending Chevron Can't Solve Congress's Problems

ConstitutionJames WallnerJuly 10, 2024Separation of Powers, Congress, Supreme Court, Presidency, Chevron, judicial review, regulatory processComment

Should the Electoral College be Preserved?

Should the Electoral College be Preserved?

Constitution, Presidency, Political TheoryJames WallnerDecember 18, 2023Electoral College, Constitution, Presidency Comment

Democrats are eyeing the wrong approach to Tuberville’s blanket hold

Democrats are eyeing the wrong approach to Tuberville’s blanket hold

CongressJames WallnerJuly 11, 2023Tommy Tuberville, Chuck Schumer, JD Vance, Elizabeth Warren, Jeff Merkley, Debbie Stabenow, Ted Cruz, Mitch McConnell, Mike Lee, Rule XIX, Senate Holds, Rule XXII, Confirmation ProcessComment

Why many arguments are misleading in the debt limit debate

Why many arguments are misleading in the debt limit debate

CongressJames WallnerMay 25, 2023debt limit, Congress, Legislative Bargaining, Legislative Strategy, Legislative NegotiationComment

Why this year’s contest for Speaker is how Congress should operate

Why this year’s contest for Speaker is how Congress should operate

CongressJames WallnerJanuary 12, 2023Organizing Congress, Speaker of the House, Leadership Elections, Leadership, Legislative Strategy, Legislative BargainingComment

Why the lame-duck Congress is a threat to democracy

Why the lame-duck Congress is a threat to democracy

Congress, Political TheoryJames WallnerDecember 6, 2022lame-duck session, Congress, liberal democracy, Democracy CrisisComment

Judicial sortition helps Congress and the Supreme Court

Judicial sortition helps Congress and the Supreme Court

Congress, Supreme CourtJames WallnerNovember 12, 2022Confirmation Process, judicial supremacy, Judicial Nominations, JudiciaryComment

A New Way to Select Justices?

A New Way to Select Justices?

James WallnerJune 21, 2022Confirmation Process, Supreme CourtComment

Conversations on Totalitarianism

Conversations on Totalitarianism

Book Review, Political TheoryJames WallnerJune 10, 2022Hannah Arendt, Isaiah BerlinComment

The Senate's Latest Gun Bill Will Fail, but Not Because of the Filibuster

The Senate's Latest Gun Bill Will Fail, but Not Because of the Filibuster

CongressJames WallnerJune 2, 2022gun control, Senate, Filibuster, filibuster, cloture, motion to proceed, Rule XIX, Rule XIV, Chuck Schumer, Chris Murphy, Kyrsten SinemaComment

The Senate Does Not Serve the President

The Senate Does Not Serve the President

Congress, ConstitutionJames WallnerFebruary 24, 2022Advise and Consent, Confirmation Process, James Madison, Sherrod Brown, Senate Banking Committee, Federal ReserveComment

Democrats Still Have a Way To Pass Their Voting Rights Legislation

Democrats Still Have a Way To Pass Their Voting Rights Legislation

CongressJames WallnerJanuary 28, 2022Filibuster, filibuster, Rule XIX, Rule XXII, Joe Manchin, Kyrsten Sinema, Nuclear Option, Senate Rules, voting rightsComment

Democrats Can Beat a GOP Filibuster Without Wrecking Senate Rules

Democrats Can Beat a GOP Filibuster Without Wrecking Senate Rules

Senate Democrats should avoid taking the easy, undemocratic way out.

CongressJames WallnerJanuary 14, 2022Senate, Senate Rules, Filibuster, Rule XXII, Rule XIX, Biden, Kamala Harris, cloture, Harry Reid, Presiding OfficerComment

Democrats May Pressure the GOP Into Making the Filibuster Meaningless

Democrats May Pressure the GOP Into Making the Filibuster Meaningless

An old strategy that’s worked for Democrats before may work again.

James WallnerJanuary 11, 2022Filibuster, Nuclear Option, Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, Lamar Alexander, Harry Reid, voting rightsComment