Society Archives

("Spring" by Edvard Munch, 1889)

Should We Take Comfort in the Knowledge Others Have it Worse?

While the phrase “It could be worse” can provide us comfort, it may lead to less effective and less ethical forms of consolation.

("Uncle Sam's Thanksgiving Dinner" by Thomas Nast, 1869)

American politics is in peril. Now is the time to replace our broken bargaining tables with more deliberative democracy.

For low-income families, the move toward direct, broad cash benefits might prove to have a long-lasting impact once the COVID pandemic ends.

(Jeffrey Howard)

Rather than view recent political failings as flaws inherent to liberalism, we might be better served by focusing on the decline in trust.

("The County Election" by George Caleb Bingham, 1854)

Some people consider democracy a good thing only if it gets them the outcome they want. Perhaps the US just needs more democratic reforms.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Without a shared mythos or communal rituals, we face not only the physical threat of coronavirus but also an epidemic of hopelessness.