During this time of reflection — civil war? — for the Republican Party, it makes sense to look abroad for models of how a right-of-center party might succeed in the 2020s. An obvious place is Britain. Conservatives are still in government there and, despite the coronavirus pandemic and an economic contraction unmatched since 1709, they...
Most presidents have an intelligible foreign policy. For some it’s bold enough to earn a grandiose name — think George H.W. Bush’s “New World Order” — or at least be labeled “doctrine.” James Monroe’s was to keep other powers out of the western hemisphere, Harry Truman’s to counter the expansion of communism. President Trump has called his “principled realism” but,...
Brexit apoplexy, crippling fears about the future of the Union — the Scots are once again discussing independence — and a riven governing Conservative Party that is only in charge with the assistance of an obscure Northern Irish group. Having just returned from Britain, I can confirm the country is in a state of political...
By the time you read this, Britain should have left the European Union. Or, perhaps, it’s still a member. Maybe there will be another referendum. This uncertainty reveals how divided Britons are about their future and place in Europe. It also tells us a lot about direct democracy, a form of governance Americans have always...
Donald Trump is the sun of the contemporary American political system. Its institutions, such as Congress, the parties, the media, the states, think tanks, popular culture all revolve around him as if planets. On a recent visit to the United Kingdom, I discovered his gravitational pull extends far beyond our shores. The president structures politics in Britain today in...
A version of this column appeared originally at National Review Online. Many Americans will be surprised to hear that Britain is once again going to the polls, for what will be the third time in as many years. But while the June 8 election is unlikely to generate any shocks on the magnitude of the...
It's important not to learn the wrong lessons from Donald Trump's populist success and the Brexit vote.
Recent examples show journalists' unwillingness to stick to the profession's basic principles.
Britons face a tough choice later this month.
