Fall 2008, No. 10

It’s less than two months before one of the most momentous elections in American history. Who will succeed Bush? More importantly, what ideas will succeed Bush?

As you already know, this question sits at the heart of every Democracy issue, including the one you have just received. What is the right path to take on expanding higher education access? Theda Skocpol and Suzanne Mettler, two of our nation’s most respected political scientists, explain in these pages. What sort of leadership qualities should our next president have? Few people have considered the question of leadership more deeply than Joseph Nye, Jr., and in this issue he gives his view on the ideal future president. What do Iranian politics look like from the inside, and what do they mean for U.S. foreign policy? Why is civic education important, and why do we need more of it? What kind of infrastructure investments should we be making to ensure growth through the twenty-first century? All of these questions are asked, and answered, in this issue.

Back Issues Archive

Features

The Next American System

To thrive in a twenty-first century economy, America needs a new physical and financial infrastructure.

By Michael Lind

23 MIN READ

Back to School

To assure higher-education access for all, we need more than just elite handouts for the lucky few.

By Theda Skocpol and Suzanne Mettler

22 MIN READ

Picking a President

The nature of leadership has changed profoundly in this global era. Business knows it. The military knows it. America needs its next president to know it, too.

By Joseph S. Nye, Jr.

19 MIN READ

The Next Globalization

The biggest challenge of globalization isn't trade. It's reining in health care and energy costs—and preparing American workers and business to compete.

By Robert Shapiro

24 MIN READ

America 101

How we let civic education slide and why we need a crash course in the Constitution today.

By Eric Lane

21 MIN READ

Book Reviews

Democracy and Discontent

With democracy on the run and American power in question, what's the future of democracy promotion?

By Thomas Carothers

14 MIN READ

Persian Politicking

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is not just a buffoonish figurehead, but part of a larger power struggle within Iran. We dismiss him at our peril.

By Abbas Milani

15 MIN READ

Staffing Up

Why it matters whom the president hires.

By Karen Hult

12 MIN READ

Squeezed from the Bottom

With economic pain rising from the working class to the middle class, the public may be ready for fundamental reform.

By David Callahan

15 MIN READ

Left Out

What the downfall of the European Left can teach American liberals.

By Nick Cohen

15 MIN READ

Mad Men

Is the golden age of political consulting over?

By Walter Shapiro

12 MIN READ

Responses

Save Kyoto

Stopping climate change will take more than clean-energy investment. We should start by reforming Kyoto, not scrapping it. A response to Michael Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus.

By Oliver Tickell

10 MIN READ

Recounting

Water's Edge

It's time to acknowledge that foreign policy is fair game in presidential politics.

By Andrei Cherny

10 MIN READ

Editor's Note

Editors' Note

Kenneth Baer and Andrei Cherny introduce Issue #10.

By Kenneth Baer and Andrei Cherny

4 MIN READ

Letters

Letters to the Editor

Letters from our readers

By Democracy Readers

4 MIN READ

Back Issues Archive