When a president leaves the White House, he enters one of the most elite clubs. A book by two of America’s leading journalists looks at what binds these individuals together, given their personalities and politics.
By Clay Jenkinson, Editor-at-Large | February 26, 2021
The printing press and social media democratized communication in their respective times. They both turned the order of things on its head — for good, for ill, and forever.
By Clay S. Jenkinson, Editor-at-Large | February 19, 2021
In 1800, the country struggled to survive its first transition of power between John Adams, America’s first one-term president, and Thomas Jefferson, thanks to political intrigue, chaos and panic.
By Clay Jenkinson, Editor-at-Large | January 8, 2021
With incoming President Joe Biden pledging to unify the country, author David French talks about the nation’s current divide, whether the country is in decline and the prospects for a lasting union.
By Clay Jenkinson, Editor-at-Large | January 6, 2021
Transfers of power, a hallmark of our constitutional system, often come with shocks to the system. Trump’s refusal to concede may seem unprecedented, but it’s not the first time this has happened.
By Clay S. Jenkinson, Editor-at-Large | December 21, 2020
Editor-at-Large Clay Jenkinson and Professor Ed Watts explore what insights can be gained studying the last years of the Roman Republic and whether that has particular relevance in our own time.
By Clay Jenkinson, Editor-at-Large | December 18, 2020
For more than two centuries, the vice president has held little power, despite the position’s prominence. That may be changing, but the story of the No. 2 job in America is full of historical quirks.
By Lindsay Chervinsky, Historian and Contributor | December 8, 2020
The election of 1800 was the first time power was transferred from one political party to another. Hoping for a smooth transition involving prominent Founding Fathers, the country ended up with a constitutional crisis.
By Clay S. Jenkinson, Editor-at-Large | December 2, 2020
Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election results isn’t the first effort to change the outcome of a close race. In 1800, Thomas Jefferson faced a similar and chaotic post-electoral problem.
By Clay S. Jenkinson, Editor-at-Large | November 20, 2020
Presidential elections, your vote, and the quest for legitimacy. Unlike Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, President-elect Joe Biden appears to have won both the popular vote and the Electoral College.
By Clay S. Jenkinson, Editor-at-Large | November 13, 2020