We dedicate this issue of Democracy to the hope that Big Money can be stopped and that our politics can be changed—and we offer some original and specific ways to do it. Some of the best thinkers in the reform movement—Russ Feingold, Bill Moyers, Jacob Hacker, and Trevor Potter, among others—offer their best ideas on how to loosen Big Money’s grip on our politics.

Also in the issue: Barney Frank, who leaves Congress after more than three decades of distinguished service, writes about a historic shift: For the first time in memory, a Democrat ran for president calling for lower defense spending—and won. George S. Hawkins, head of D.C.’s water commission, has an important essay on the need to revamp the Clean Water Act. And Henry J. Aaron of the Brookings Institution offers his ideas on entitlement reforms progressives should be open to.

Elsewhere: Akhil Reed Amar on the absurd reasoning of Justice Scalia. Mary Dudziak on how international law has been twisted to serve American ends. Scott McLemee on what higher education should teach. Len Gutkin on the postwar novel and the Democratic Party.