What Havel Teaches Us About Freedom
Democracy is more threatened now than at any time in the last 30 years. But there is reason to hope.
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Persuasion.
Essays and commentary on liberalism, politics, and public culture.
Recent essays
30 of 205Welcoming Mike McFaul and Larry Diamond to American Purpose
I’m very happy to announce that Mike McFaul and Larry Diamond have agreed to become regular columnists for American Purpose.
This Week At Persuasion
Francis Fukuyama on the midterms. Plus, Martin Wolf on The Good Fight.
Liberals Are Wrong to Fear the Internet
Social media doesn't always reward populists. It punishes leaders who fail voters.
Double Down on College
I tried cutting college costs to the bare bone. It doesn't work.
Our Recovery Starts Here
After years of being under threat, American democracy has proven it can hold.
Campuses Need More Pluralism, Not Less
A new faculty collective calls dialogue programs a billionaire-backed plot. In fact, they teach students the skills democracy depends on.
Shadi Hamid and Matthew Kaemingk on Whether Democracy Needs Religion
Yascha Mounk, Shadi Hamid, and Matthew Kaemingk discuss how the decline of faith has fueled polarization—and whether Democrats should make more room for religious voters.
The True Believer
Today, Trump’s most zealous soldier becomes his most powerful aide.
The Midterms Just Made the World More Dangerous
Trump's repudiation tells Xi, Putin, and Kim that their window to act is closing.
Martin Wolf on Democratic Capitalism After Trump
Yascha Mounk and Martin Wolf discuss whether democracy can recover from the damage of populism, the risk of an AI bubble, and why France could spark the next euro crisis.
Civilization Is About Settling for Second-Best
Sadly, our intuitions are not our best guides.
Trump’s Foreign Policy Is Not America’s Fate
The midterms are over; the battle to reimagine the United States’ place in the world has just begun.
After the Wave, Populism Will Linger
America’s structural dysfunction isn’t going anywhere.
The Good Fight Club: Trump Rebuked
Yascha Mounk, Larry Diamond, and Arlie Hochschild debate whether the blue wave marks the end of the MAGA era or merely a pause.
A Different Kind of Election
Much conventional wisdom was upended—except the fact that Trump is unpopular.
Six Thoughts About a Big Night for Democrats and Democracy
The Trump era is over. But there’s no returning to the old normal.
What the Woke Canon Gets Right—and Wrong
Reading Foucault, Said, Galtung, Crenshaw, and Butler exposes liberalism's real weak points, along with the strongest ways to defend it.
America’s Test
Democracy is more resilient than people think. But tomorrow is a dangerous moment.
Episode 194: D. J. Taylor on J. R. R. Tolkien
Bookstack at Persuasion is delivered to you every other Sunday at 6am EST.
Dan Williams on Why AI (Probably) Won’t Kill Us
Yascha Mounk and Dan Williams discuss the impact of AI on society, education, and politics.
How a 1906 Book Predicted the DSA
Socialism was never popular in the U.S. Now it is.
Eizenkot’s Choice
Will Israel ever move on from Netanyahu?
How to Think about Giorgia Meloni, Four Years On
Italy’s prime minister has lasted so long in office by abandoning almost everything she promised.
The Banker Trying To Save Liberalism
While poll-tested liberal leaders fell to populism around the world, Mark Carney has done the opposite—by giving liberalism a moral core.
AI Brings Back Public Trust
The bots are balanced where social media isn’t.
The Spirit of Democracy Remains Strong
The news from Brazil, Serbia, and Venezuela should be celebrated. But it’s too soon to say if these victories are sustainable.
The French Riots Are a Mirror Into the Country’s Future
Whoever the next president is, the chaos will continue.
Malcolm Gaskill on Why Our Ancestors Weren't as Superstitious as We Think
Yascha Mounk and Malcolm Gaskill debate what the Enlightenment got wrong about the so-called age of credulity.
What the PHP Bug Shows Us About Humanity and Machines
Everything you need to know about the past week in cybersecurity.