Ron DeSantis Is a Test Case

The fact that Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, is favored to win re-election is a clear warning to those worried about declining support for democratic institutions and values in the United States. The prospect of DeSantis’s re-election in November suggests that under certain circumstances the American electorate will tolerate, […] Read more »

The Left and Right’s Terrible Ideas for Fixing the Internet

Watching American politicians and judges wrestle with the social and political dangers posed by the internet is a bit like watching my cats chase a laser pointer. They’re very fired up about the hunt, pursuing every zig and zag with showy ferocity, but anytime they approach the target it becomes […] Read more »

Americans do not support politicians punishing firms for their views, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

A bipartisan majority of U.S. voters oppose politicians punishing companies over their stances on social issues, a cold reception for campaigns like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ against Walt Disney Co (DIS.N), a Reuters/Ipsos poll found. The two-day poll completed on Thursday showed that 62% of Americans – including 68% of […] Read more »

Ron DeSantis’ governing strategy in Florida is paying off

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has championed controversial stances that have catapulted him into GOP stardom. From Covid-19 vaccines to critical race theory to the law critics have dubbed “Don’t Say Gay,” DeSantis has annoyed Democrats (and many medical professionals) and delighted his fellow Republicans. He’s played to the GOP base […] Read more »

LGBTQ issues are at center stage. What does the public think?

In the years after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2015, the Republican Party seemed to gradually conclude that it had lost the battle over LGBTQ rights — and that it wasn’t really worth fighting anymore. … But it’s possible that, in the years since Obergefell v. Hodges, LGBT […] Read more »

Book bans move to center stage in the red-state education wars

The escalating red-state efforts to ban more books mark a new stage in the struggle to control the educational experience of America’s kaleidoscopically diverse younger generations. … Though battles over access to controversial titles traditionally have been fought district by district, and even school by school, Republican-controlled states including Florida, […] Read more »