Rebuilding America the Washington Monthly Way
Two years ago, as America reeled from the Dobbs decision, I was invited to a constitutional law conference at Georgetown University. On a bright, cold November morning, I signed in, pasted on my nametag, and walked in to see what I had expected—a stuffy conference room filled with academics. But as the day rolled on, I encountered something surprising: energy, even excitement.
Amid the despair over the rollback of abortion rights, scholars and activists were discussing how to fix the Supreme Court—not only by altering its structure but also by rethinking the popular conception about what the Court should be for. (Rights-giving fount of wisdom? Or something more modest, democratic?) It was a surprisingly heady conversation, animated and idealistic, and yet grounded in reforms that almost no one was talking about.
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I was inspired. Over the next several months, I read dozens of law articles, interviewed leading thinkers, and wrote a detailed guide to the reform debate, in which I weighed these ideas and argued that movement-building was needed to connect them to public outrage.
By then, I had worked as an editor here for about a year, long enough to learn that this was classic Washington Monthly journalism: Marshaling nitty-gritty policy details in service of a Big Idea on the horizon. Another aspect, more emotional than conceptual, stands out to me now, though, as defenders of democracy pick up the pieces after the 2024 election. In moments of despair, specifics matter. Huddling with friends and family brings comfort, but it’s the people proposing solutions who will put you back on your feet.
The Washington Monthly will keep doing this work amid a dark political landscape. It’s critical in a moment like this, where, amid defeat, new ideas can grow. But we need your support. If you value our forward-looking, solutions-based journalism, donate to the Monthly now.
Rob Wolfe
Editor
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