Welcome to the Guide for Politics.

As I write this, we find ourselves not only in the midst of an election year, but also a deadly pandemic, a national reckoning about racial justice, and ongoing crises related to the environment and the economy, among others.

We are here.

This Guide for Politics is my attempt to do my part to help those who are interested navigate this moment. We must start where we are.

Over the years, I have received thousands of questions about politics and policy from students, friends, family, and acquaintances. I am grateful for them entrusting me to help them make sense of things., but also for all that I have learned from these questions and exchanges. You will see echoes of those recurring themes here, along with posts that grapple with issues and challenges that are just emerging.

The word “guide” can mean a great deal of things. It can be an action as well as a person and a thing. Dictionary.com defines it, in part, as the following:

guide [ gahyd ]

verb (used with object), guid·ed, guid·ing.

to assist (a person) to travel through, or reach a destination in, an unfamiliar area, as by accompanying or giving directions to the person: He guided us through the forest.

noun

a person who guides, especially one hired to guide travelers, tourists, hunters, etc.

a mark, tab, or the like, to catch the eye and thus provide quick reference.

a book, pamphlet, etc., giving information, instructions, or advice; handbook: an investment guide.

a guidepost.

This guide is meant to embrace all aspects of the word. More than anything, I hope it is of use to you in this important moment.

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And of course, don’t forget, if you have a question about politics and policy I have not yet covered, go to the Contact page and enter it in— I will do my best to write a future post that covers it! Answering your questions is why I am here!