Jack Rakove

Interceptors Versus Missiles: The Iran War's Wrath of The Math A theory of Iranian strategy. PLUS: Me, Chris Hayes and Ayman Mohyeldin on the war's politics

Here's a sobering analysis of the course the war might take.

www.forever-wars.com/interceptors...

that’s offal

I agree with your whole line of analysis.

Opinion | Is This the Most Important Supreme Court Case of the Century?

One could argue about this over coffee, I suppose. But more important than Trump v. U.S.? Or Dobbs v. Marsh? Or the. legacy of Shelby County and its progeny and the Roberts court systematic effort to destroy the Voting Right Act?
Gimme a break!

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/22/o...

You're barking up the wrong lane.

I have never seen this before! This is really fabulous and well worth a thorough reading.
And is there any chance that Tom Paine was its author?

a.k.a. breaking news on the Twonitary presidency

Fundamental and essential reading for any serious constitutionalist.

Next thing I know is that you will be discussing semantic or public meaning originalism, which, in its highest form, offers a neo-platonist approach to constitutional interpretation.

Well, I do both and certainly when I write for the latter, I always aim to tighten my sentences with the general reader in mind. But I generally do the same thing with my academic prose, though perhaps less ardently. In my case it matters a lot that I was a product of Bailyn's legendary seminar.

I like this kind of inventiveness, as in gerrymander or making 'gate a suffix for scandal. But in formal prose some norms should be enforced. E.g. I would never use a contraction and I would tell students the limited circumstances when they could use first person. Mixed feelings about morph though.

one for the president, the other for the v.p.
In 1811 Madison's first v.p., George Clinton, cast a tie-breaking vote against JM's position to renew the charter of the first BUS.
That's one reason why John Roberts' treatment of the Trump-Pence relation in the presidential immunity case is flawed.

One other point worth making: only in the mid 20th c. was the vice presidency thought to be part of the executive branch. Its constitutional function before then was to preside over the Senate. This remained true even after the 12th Amendment required each elector to cast two distinct votes /1/

I taught a namesake descendant of Gerry at Colgate and can confirm the pronunciation.
Plus a descendant of Gouverneur Morris taught on the Stanford faculty so I know his first name is pronounced Governor.
And a strange fact: Madison was the only president to kill off both his vice presidents.

da Bears

Mon plaisir! And I was able to stay at Tocqueville's chateau for a conference last year.

The Crime of Witness | Fintan O’Toole Renée Good and Alex Pretti were murdered for daring to interfere with the Trump administration’s efforts to normalize abductions and state violence.

Brilliant piece (hope it is not paywalled).
Crucial conclusion: "If the price of liberty is eternal vigilance, a country that inflicts the ultimate punishment on those who dare to be vigilant can no longer be free."

www.nybooks.com/articles/202...

the problem is that they tend to rule differently when Democrats hold the presidency

Prosecutors Began Investigating Renee Good’s Killing. Washington Told Them to Stop.

I have been musing about the hypothesis that the ultimate consequence of SCOTUS's opinion in Trump v. U.S. will be the destruction of the rule of law in the U.S. This gift article helps to explain why, in part by emphasizing the evisceration of the Dept. of Justice.

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/07/u...

Jervis Forum Review 165: Bell on Edelstein, The Revolution to Come H-Diplo | Robert Jervis International Security Studies Forum Review 165 Dan Edelstein, The Revolution to Come: A History of an Idea from Thucydides to Lenin. Princeton University Press, 2025. ISBN…

On the serious academic side of things, when we need a good diversion from current events, this is a brilliant review by @davidavrombell.bsky.social of the conceptual history of revolution written by my colleague (and neighbor) Dan Edelstein.

issforum.org/reviews/jerv...

What a moron. One has to wonder (though probably not) whether she has read the Va. Statute of Religious Freedom, drafted by Jefferson and steered through the House of Delegates by Madison, admittedly before the presidency existed--but so what?

Thanks!

Couldn't agree more, for all the manifest reasons.

Playing the Grinch at America’s 250th Birthday Party How do we celebrate America's 250th anniversary as ICE and the Border Patrol threaten and abuse ordinary Americans?

Playing the grinch at the 250th.

washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/05/p...

Still good reading, I think. And for all you Cubs fans and Madisonians, look for another piece tied to the relation between the Revolution and the events in Minneapolis that will go live at the Washington Monthly's website tomorrow.

This is just a guess, but maybe the rise in dramatic prose from district court judges is partly due to a growing belief among those judges that it's pointless to try to persuade SCOTUS and they must therefore focus on other potential audiences.

How Not to Defeat Authoritarianism Moderation used to help Democrats win, but its advantages now have been greatly exaggerated.

This @bostonreview.bsky.social piece by @adambonica.bsky.social and @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social is an absolute must-read, as are many of the responses to it.

Spread this one far and wide.

How the Supreme Court Secretly Made Itself Even More Secretive

The idea that the Court should operate entirely in secret is a modern phenomenon. The idea that the Court should be separated from the public is a modern phenomenon. Earlier generations did not accept a powerful, isolated & secretive Court and we shouldn't either 1/6

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/u...

Key quote from the judge's order releasing Liam Ramos & his father: "Observing human behavior confirms that for some among us, the perfidious lust for unbridled power and the imposition of cruelty in its quest know no bounds and are bereft of human decency. And the rule of law be damned."