An Antidote to Burnout
In high school, a buddy of mine auditioned for a play with a bit I still remember.
He walked onstage, took off the glasses he'd worn for as long as I'd known him. I can't see a whole lot when I'm not
Caitie Whelan
The Key Thing 6 of the Last 8 U.S. Presidents Have in Common
What do four of the last six Speakers of the U.S. House and six of the last eight Presidents of the United States have in common?
They all love lemon scones!
That's not actually true.
Let's take a short stroll through the origin stories of
A Simple Tool to Up Your Policy Game
Our lives have many different kinds of calendars. The calendar of months and four seasons, the school calendar (I still find myself talking about autumn as the fall semester), the calendar of Q1 and Q2 and..., the calendar of planting tomatoes and picking asters, the calendar of the fiscal year
Who Calls the Shots in Local Government
If you've been up at night asking yourself, "What is the most common form of local government?" your sleepless wonderings are over!
The answer is not, in fact, clownshow. The most common form of local government across this fair land is – drumroll, rat-a-tat, and a shish-boom-bah!
What Kills Most Bills & What to Do About It
When I first came to D.C., an old timer told me that the most powerful force in that town could be distilled to one word.
And that word is coleslaw.
No. I kid.
The word is inertia. The devil you know is better than the devil you don'
A Few Minutes for a Stronger Democracy
I have to imagine that "National Thank a Politician Day" wouldn't be a widely celebrated holiday. But let's see if I can make the case for it.
When most of us hear the word politician, what likely springs to mind is a lying, cheating,
Things We Can Ask Our Legislator To Do For Us
On February 7, 2018, then-Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi made one minute last eight hours.
When rank and file members speak on the House floor, they get one plain Jane sixty-second minute.
But House leadership has the privilege of a Magic Minute, where they can speak for as long as the
How to Win By Losing
Most folks outside of Ohio don't know John Boccieri's name. Perhaps most folks inside Ohio don't know his name either. Or even how to pronounce it (BOW-cherry). But John Boccieri is a name worth knowing.
He's a son of Youngstown, was an
How to Get a Legislator to Yes
Most politicians are party animals. By which I mean they are - or at least believe themselves to be - somewhat beholden to the priorities of their political party. (Though a certain Senate Majority Leader from New York is also known to enjoy a good dance party.)
The party probably
How to Make Your Voice Heard With Politicians
There is a cat I know who is a relentless self-advocate. Inhumanely early caterwauling for breakfast. Staring the human awake. Pawing at the human's stomach.
And the human, who is after all human, breaks. She sets out a bowl of tuna, while muttering about feline entitlement.
But the