Articles by Robert Zaller

I’ve been watching American elections—and sparingly participating in them—for a long time. Sparingly participating, because I take my one 300th million share of the popular…

How long should it take to elect a president? In a ministerial-style European system (the Canadians have it too), the contending political parties each choose…

When the Athenians invented democracy about 2600 years ago, they took it straight, no chaser. Every citizen represented himself. The Athenian Assembly was the full…

Donald Trump was asked a hypothetical question recently. He gave a candid answer, as is his wont, for if there is one thing that can…

Let’s get the disclaimer out of the way first: Donald Trump is an egomaniacal demagogue who knows little and cares less about law, diplomacy, or…

When during the Great Depression Franklin D. Roosevelt described a third of the population of the United States as ill-fed, ill-clothed and ill-housed, he didn’t…

As Shakespeare would say, nothing became him in life so much as the leaving of it . . . Antonin Scalia died as he had…

Donald Trump said he could stand on Fifth Avenue and shoot someone, and not lose any votes. I believe it, too. First of all, it’s…

I don’t suppose the Time Magazine issue featuring German Chancellor Angela Merkel as its person of the year sold very well in Greece. Merkel made…

By the time you read this, Barack Obama will have delivered his valedictory State of the Union Address; as I write it, his speechwriters will…