Reintroducing Justice Robert Jackson

By G. Edward White

In 1952, Justice Robert Jackson issued a concurring opinion in the case of Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer, in which a majority of the Supreme Court held that President Harry Truman could not invoke executive power to seize several of the major U.S. steel manufacturing companies. Jackson’s opinion in Youngstown sketched a framework for executive power under the Constitution, identifying three examples of executive decisions against the backdrop of congressional authority.

“I’m good”

By Edwin L. Battistella

The word good does a lot of work in English. Aside from its garden-variety sense (as in “good game” or “good job” or “good dog”), we find the word has a number of extended uses.

What all parents need to know to support their teens in college

By Michael C. Meinzer

With the semester well underway, your college student is probably juggling a lot—classes, homework, exams, and writing assignments—all while managing friendships, jobs, and other responsibilities. This balancing act can be tough for any young adult, but it’s often especially challenging for students with ADHD.

How do you write a comparative politics textbook for changing times?

By Johannes Lindvall

When I studied comparative politics as an undergraduate in the 1990s, I was introduced to the field through static comparisons between national political systems. Each chapter in the textbook we read described a different country, and we learned about constitutions, legislatures, and parties as if they were fixed features of political life.

The sound of suspense: Hitchcock and Herrmann [playlist]

By Steven C. Smith

Listen to Bernard Herrmann’s eight scores for the films of Alfred Hitchcock. You’ll hear, in music, a mirror of how the duo’s personal relationship evolved, from its joyous start in late 1954 to its bitter end in 1966.

Meet the editors: what we do at conferences

By Morgan Jones and Gabe Kachuck

For academics, stepping into the world of scholarly conferences for the first time can feel like crossing the Rubicon. After months (or sometimes years) of what is often a solitary research journey, scholars enter a dynamic ecosystem where subfields collide and converge, and colleagues at every career stage rub shoulders in line for coffee and conversation.

What’s your literary classic Halloween costume? [quiz]

By Lindsey Stangl

This Halloween, why not let literature dress you?

Quatremère de Quincy: the founding father of museophobia?

By David Gilks

Antoine-Chrysostôme Quatremère de Quincy (1755-1849) was celebrated during his lifetime as the greatest European writer on the arts. The architect Sir John Soane admired his essay on Egyptian architecture while Hegel considered his research on ancient Greek polychromatic sculpture a masterpiece. Despite the breadth of Quatremère’s writings, today he is famous for inventing an idea […]

Symbol swearing with the Grawlix

By Edwin L. Battistella

I miss a lot of things about the decline of paper newspapers, especially the comic strips. The comics were verbal humor with pictures and recurring characters, and the language of the comics provided a window into how spoken language was represented in print.

Nine reasons I love John Williams [playlist]

By Tim Greiving

I wrote a biography of John Williams, essentially, because I have loved his music since I was nine years old.

Prague: a playlist from the heart of Europe

By Cynthia Paces

Prague is a city steeped in history, where music has long been intertwined with its cultural identity. This playlist captures that spirit, featuring compositions that reflect the grandeur of its imperial courts, the struggles of its people, and the resilience of its artists.

Let’s stop talking about conspiracy “theories”

By Edwin L. Battistella

A few years ago, I taught an undergraduate course on “Cons, Cults, and Conspiracies Theories,” exploring the connections and parallels among those phenomena.

John Williams and the two notes that changed cinema

By Tim Greiving

Two notes. Probably the most famous two-note unit of music in modern history.

When a composer has a hit song or an instantly iconic tune, it can be a blessing and a curse. That tune becomes eternally attached to you—and sometimes it can eclipse the rest of your work.

5 books to master your transition to college [reading list]

By Calla Veazie-Abba

As the days get cooler and autumn approaches, it’s the perfect time for a fresh start. Back to school is here.

Back to school for happy and healthy kids

By Andrea Temkin-Yu

Every September, caregivers and kids alike prepare for one big change: the start of a new school year.

Sabotage of the Normandie? [excerpt]

By Mike Wallace

In the 1940s, the Normandie was the epitome of elegance and engineering—a French ocean liner renowned for its Art Deco splendor and unmatched luxury.