Bessette Pitney Text

Bessette/Pitney’s AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS: DELIBERATION, DEMOCRACY AND CITIZENSHIP reviews the idea of "deliberative democracy." Building on the book, this blog offers insights, analysis, and facts about recent events.

Friday, October 2, 2026

Dining Alone

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Many posts have discussed social capital , volunteering and civic virtue . Derek Thompson at The Atlantic : Until 1975, half of American...

Thursday, October 1, 2026

Poverty and Housing Costs

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A number of posts have dealt with poverty . According to the most accurate measure, California does poorly. Alex Horowitz, Liz Clifford, a...

Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Oppo Fail

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Inaccurate opposition research can backfire very, very badly. Senator Eric Schmitt demonstrated the idea yesterday. A phenomenal moment in ...

Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Ballot Campaigns and Generative Engine Optimization

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Artificial intelligence is an increasingly important topic in politics , policy , and law . RACHEL BLUTH and WILL MCCARTHY at POLITICO ...

Monday, September 28, 2026

CBO Tax Data

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As many posts have pointed out , the federal tax system is more progressive than many people believe . Higher-income people do pay high...

Sunday, September 27, 2026

Fraud and Funny Numbers

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Many posts have discussed federal deficits and the federal debt . Like previous efforts to reduce the deficit by cutting " waste, f...

Saturday, September 26, 2026

Two Cheers for Socialism

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A number of posts have discussed socialism . Lydia Saad at Gallup: Forty-three percent of Americans now have a positive view of sociali...

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