Jonathan Rauch
Author of Cross Purposes and The Constitution of Knowledge. Senior fellow @BrookingsInst. Contributing writer @TheAtlantic. Sorry, shrimp isn't food.
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Articles by Jonathan Rauch
Political Realignments
I read a lot of stuff. Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends. I read a lot of stuff. Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends.
Trump Has Finally Lost the Plot
The frantic pace of the Trump presidency makes days seem like weeks and weeks like months — if not years. Finding rhyme or reason amid President Trump’s erratic conduct is impossible. Even so, while 2026 has not brought calm, it has brought more clarity. Twenty months into his second term, Mr. Trump has remade the presidency and changed what Americans will tolerate from their government and from one another.
Trump finalmente ha perdido el rumbo
El ritmo frenético de la presidencia de Donald Trump hace que los días parezcan semanas y las semanas, meses, si no es que años. Encontrar lógica o razón en la conducta errática del presidente Trump resulta imposible. Aun así, aunque 2026 no ha traído calma, sí ha aportado mayor claridad. A veinte meses del inicio de su segundo mandato, Trump ha rediseñado la presidencia y ha cambiado lo que los estadounidenses están dispuestos a tolerar de su gobierno y entre sí.
Trump finalmente ha perdido el rumbo
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. Trump finalmente ha perdido el rumbo 28 de septiembre de 2026 a las 02:00 ET Credit...Cleon Peterson Rauch es investigador sénior en la Brookings Institution. Wehner, investigador sénior en el Trinity Forum, es colaborador de la sección de Opinión.
The philosophy of liberalism and how it has transformed our institutions
The philosophy of liberalism and how it has transformed our institutions Jonathan Rauch, author and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, dives into the philosophy of liberalism, how it has created and transformed our institutions, and the state of truth in a world rife with misinformation.
Perspective: When religion meets constitutional democracy
Consider it official: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has exited the culture war, repudiated Christian nationalism, and embraced a wiser alternative: Christian constitutionalism. In a speech on Sept. 16, Dallin H. Oaks, the president of the church, placed the church squarely at odds with the trend among other conservative Christians toward partisanship and cultural confrontation. Instead, he said, Christians, and Americans, should pursue conciliation.
Trump Has Finally Lost the Plot
Trump Has Finally Lost the Plot Credit...Cleon Peterson Mr. Rauch is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Mr. Wehner, a senior fellow at the Trinity Forum, is a contributing Opinion writer. The frantic pace of the Trump presidency makes days seem like weeks and weeks like months — if not years. Finding rhyme or reason amid President Trump’s erratic conduct is impossible. Even so, while 2026 has not brought calm, it has brought more clarity.
I read a lot of stuff. Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends. I read a lot of stuff. Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends.
Comics and Counterintelligence
I read a lot of stuff. Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends. I read a lot of stuff. Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends.
Las sociedades liberales necesitan grandes relatos sobre sí mismas
Foto: edición en Canva a partir de la cubierta del libro «In Good Faith», de Ryan Avent, en Yale University Press 28 Jul 2026 - 11min. Avance Este artículo de The Unpopulist se fija en el libro In Good Faith: How the Nature of Belief Shapes the Fate of Societies (De buena fe: cómo la naturaleza de las creencias determina el destino de las sociedades) de Ryan Avent.
I read a lot of stuff. Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends. I read a lot of stuff. Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends.
Prosecuting Presidential Corruption
Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends. I read a lot of stuff. Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends.
Is ‘consent of the governed’ possible amid polarized politics?
The Declaration of Independence declared that legitimate government rests on the “consent of the governed.” Where does the social contract between Americans and government stand today? In this episode of Democracy in Question, host Katie Dunn Tenpas asks Brookings senior fellow Jonathan Rauch to trace the idea from founding principle to present-day practice. Listen to Democracy in Question on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you like to get podcasts. Watch episodes on YouTube.
When To Walk Out
Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends. I read a lot of stuff. Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends.
Bad Filings
Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends. I read a lot of stuff. Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends.
The Trump Administration Is in a Psychotic State
It has been clear for a long time that President Trump is a person with a disorganized mind and a disordered personality. What the past few months and especially the past few weeks have brought into focus is how his pathologies have cascaded downward and outward through his administration. They have become institutionalized. The reason the administration so often does not act coherently is that it cannot.
Birthright
Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends. I read a lot of stuff. Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends.
Havana Syndrome and War Aims
Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends. I read a lot of stuff. Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends.
Soviet Architecture with Emily Hoge
Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends. I read a lot of stuff. Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends.
Yes, It’s Fascism
Until recently, I resisted using the F-word to describe President Trump. For one thing, there were too many elements of classical fascism that didn’t seem to fit. For another, the term has been overused to the point of meaninglessness, especially by left-leaning types who call you a fascist if you oppose abortion or affirmative action. For yet another, the term is hazily defined, even by its adherents.
Ano, tohle je fašismus
Zahraničí••19 minut Donedávna jsem si myslel, že je lepší se tomuto termínu vyhnout. Ale nyní je podobností příliš mnoho a jsou příliš silné, než aby se daly popřít Až donedávna jsem se bránil používat slovo na F k popisu prezidenta Trumpa. Zaprvé proto, že až příliš mnoho prvků klasického fašismu se mi nezdálo odpovídajících. Zadruhé proto, že byl tento termín nadužíván do té míry, až ztratil svůj význam.
Yes, its fascism
Until recently, I resisted using the F-word to describe President Trump. For one thing, there were too many elements of classical fascism that didnt seem to fit. For another, the term has been overused to the point of meaninglessness, especially by left-leaning types who call you a fascist if you oppose abortion or affirmative action. For yet another, the term is hazily defined, even by its adherents.
Yes, It’s Fascism
2 hours ago The United States should use this moment to argue for a different approach to the rules of war. In the early hours of January 3, the United States armed forces executed an astounding operation. American air, land, and sea units destroyed Venezuela’s air defenses, sent in Special Forces that took out …
Parody, Morale, and Tatars
Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends. I read a lot of stuff. Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends.
Trump Is Racing to Avoid Accountability
In this episode of the “To The Contrary Podcast,” Brookings Senior fellow Jonathan Rauch and O discuss the current political landscape under Donald Trump, exploring themes of authoritarianism, the implications of the January 6th insurrection, and the evolving role of law enforcement agencies like ICE. We delve into Trump’s foreign policy ambitions, particularly regarding Greenland, and reflect on the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. in the context of today’s political climate.
New Year's Wishes
Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends. I read a lot of stuff. Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends.
Ukraine Negotiations with Kateryna Lisunova
Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends. I read a lot of stuff. Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends.
Let’s Not Grant the Postliberal Critique of Market Liberalism Original
Book Review Nineteen-seventy was a banner year for American cultural criticism. Blockbusters like Charles A. Reich’s The Greening of America and Alvin Toffler’s Future Shock heralded a decade of introspection. Another bestseller, now largely forgotten, was by the American sociologist Philip Slater: The Pursuit of Loneliness: American Culture at the Breaking Point. (You can read the 1970 edition here.) Why, Slater asked, is America so prosperous, yet so unhappy?
Dystopian Unsubtlety
Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends. I read a lot of stuff. Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends.
The Overrated Show
Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends. I read a lot of stuff. Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends.
Why Is the American Experiment in Trouble? Simple: A Demagogue Has Ignited the ‘Dark Passions’ of the People
William A. Galston, author of Anger, Fear, Domination (Yale University Press, 2025); Robert Tracy McKenzie, author of We the Fallen People (InterVarsity Press, 2021); and James Kimmel Jr., author of The Science of Revenge (Harmony, 2025). The UnPopulist illustration. Book Review Here in liberal land, we bang our heads against the wall, incessantly asking ourselves the same question: How could it have happened here?
Chalk Crime
Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends. I read a lot of stuff. Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends.
The Woke Right Stands At the Door
The YouTube channel “Sargon of Akkad.” WHY LIBERALISM “Why Liberalism” is an ongoing series by Persuasion in collaboration with the Institute for Humane Studies. Today, we are absolutely delighted to again feature Jonathan Rauch, who undertakes an intellectual excavation of the latest form of conservative thought—the so-called woke right.
The Woke Right Stands At the Door
WHY LIBERALISM “Why Liberalism” is an ongoing series by Persuasion in collaboration with the Institute for Humane Studies. Today, we are absolutely delighted to again feature Jonathan Rauch, who undertakes an intellectual excavation of the latest form of conservative thought—the so-called woke right.
What's Wrong With Texas? with Deece Eckstein
Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends. I read a lot of stuff. Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends.
Opinion | ‘Democrats Don’t Need to Become G.O.P. Lite’ Original
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. ‘Democrats Don’t Need to Become G.O.P. Lite’ July 18, 2025, 5:01 a.m. ET Credit...Félix Decombat Mr. Rauch is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Mr. Wehner, a senior fellow at the Trinity Forum, is a contributing Opinion writer. Now is an agonizing time for Democrats. Some days are dominated by feelings of despair, others by recriminations.
World Tour
Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends. I read a lot of stuff. Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends.
What Should Democrats Demand?
Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends. I read a lot of stuff. Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends.
Quilting for the Constitution with Emma Petty Adams
Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends. I read a lot of stuff. Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends.
Protest, Religion, and Violence
Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends. I read a lot of stuff. Think through documents with me as I read them, sometimes by myself, sometimes with friends.
The surprising hope this gay atheist sees in the Church of Jesus Christ
Faith in America is "a load bearing wall in our democracy," says Jonathan Rauch, a journalist, author and senior fellow at the Brookings Institute in the Governance Studies program. Faith gives people connections so that they don't feel as lonely or lost, said Rauch. It gives people a sense of why they're on the planet and how to use the freedoms found in the United States. But when faith collapses, he explained, people look for substitutes, including politics.
The misinformation crisis isn’t about truth, it’s about trust
Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election. Vaccines do not cause autism. There are important biological differences between men and women. These are, to the best of our current knowledge, facts. And it matters whether or not we believe them. It directly affects our democratic process, our health, and our culture. It could determine whether we’d have found ourselves storming the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Or whether our children are among the growing number currently contracting the measles.
Los beneficios de la burocracia frente a la ola patrimonialista
Por Rita McGrath_ Cómo aprendí a dejar de preocuparme y amar el papeleo administrativo. A lo largo de gran parte de la historia de la humanidad, el poder se ejerció mediante un sistema de patrimonialismo, como lo acuñó el gran sociólogo Max Weber.
Wellbeing and Witness
Dear Cottage friends, I was in New York for two days last week and came home (to northern Virginia) where I immediately spoke at a local church weekend event. The contrast was surprising. While New York is in the crosshairs of political retribution and corruption, the entire Washington, D.C. area is under revenge siege. We went to see a play in New York and laughed along with an audience of 500. We walked around and watched silly tourists. We went into beautiful churches.
One Word Describes Trump – The Atlantic - Business And America
What exactly is Donald Trump doing? Since taking office, he has reduced his administration’s effectiveness by appointing to essential agencies people who lack the skills and temperaments to do their jobs. His mass firings have emptied the civil service of many of its most capable employees. He has defied laws that he could just as easily have followed (for instance, refusing to notify Congress 30 days before firing inspectors general).
One Word Describes Trump
Listen1.0x 0:0020:26 Sign up for Trump’s Return, a newsletter featuring coverage of the second Trump presidency. What exactly is Donald Trump doing? Since taking office, he has reduced his administration’s effectiveness by appointing to essential agencies people who lack the skills and temperaments to do their jobs. His mass firings have emptied the civil service of many of its most capable employees.
One Word Describes Trump
2 days ago NEWT GINGRICH: The most revolutionary month of any modern presidency NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! As I prepared to write an assessment of President Donald J. Trump’s first month in office, I realized I had the wrong perspective. Certainly, this has been the most revolutionary month of any modern presidency.
Demystifying Critical Race Theory
Editor’s Note: This piece was first published in Areo Magazine in April 2023. Critical Race Theory (CRT) originated in higher education, but its political relevance has become more than academic, especially in the United States. Although CRT sprung from legal scholarship, proponents have pushed for its wholescale integration into education, medical training, psychology, and the social sciences as a whole. CRT has also been the subject of intense political controversy.
A Kinder, Gentler Eliminationism
A review of Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning by Peter Beinart, 172 pages (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, January 2025) In Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza, Peter Beinart urges Jewsâpleads with Jewsâto reconnect to our tradition of universalist justice as articulated in the Bible and the Talmud.
Slim Shady’s Blues
Before American musician Marshall Mathers made a name for himself as the global cultural sensation Eminem, he was already a gifted lyricist and wordsmith on the Detroit underground scene. “I’ve been writing lyrics since I was like fourteen years old,” he explained at a press conference some years ago, “and just the more I wrote the better I kept getting at it.” His lyrics are sometimes outrageous, but they can just as often be thoughtful and introspective.
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