Gov. Bush Addresses Education Policy

Florida Governor Jeb Bush addressed Hoover Institution scholars and education policy experts on January 12 at the Arrillaga Alumni Center, outlining to the audience the various reforms and improvements his state made in recent years to its schooling system. The Republican governor’s visit coincided with a meeting of the Koret Task Force, a public policy group focusing on education reform sponsored by the San Francisco-based Koret Foundation.

The Hammer Falls

Under considerable pressure to step down, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay recently decided to cede his position, which will be filled through a party election near the end of the month. Ultimately, the loss of “The Hammer” as both a political enforcer and a leader with vision may have both its benefits and drawbacks as the GOP attempts to hold control of Congress.

Don't Quit

More than a decade ago, my Grandpa George gave me an audiotape of Ronald Reagan’s first inaugural address. Delivered at the height of the Cold War and at a time when Americans were still demoralized by our defeat in Vietnam, Reagan hoped to offer an optimistic vision for America that would end what his predecessor described as “a national malaise.”

The Review Courseguide

The breadth of courses offered at the modern university is certainly astounding. Students are greeted with a variety of classes that satiate many of their particular interests. Certainly—with this breadth—comes some bizarreness. A recent study by the Young America’s Foundation claimed that Occidental College in Los Angeles offers a course entitled “The Unbearable Whiteness of Barbie: Race and Popular Culture in the United States” while Princeton offered a different course on “prostitutes, cross-dressing, and same-sex eroticism in 16th and 17th century England, France, Italy and Spain.”

From Russia With Love: Business as Usual

Before modern economics or competitive capitalism, there was mercantilism. Mercantilist European states of the sixteenth through eighteenth century held that a state’s success depended on its supply of capital and that government should exercise a strong control over commercial activity in order to achieve this end.

Can America and the CIA win the war?

Veteran investigative reporter Ronald Kessler has had an impressive degree of access to top-level Beltway players for a long time. From Inside the CIA and a slew of books about Cold War espionage written over a decade ago to his latest work, a favorable biography of President Bush released just in time for the historic 2004 election, Kessler has been able to build up an astounding list of contacts and establish an enviable portfolio of interviews with normally elusive history-makers.

24-Hour Strike Fails, Despite Strong Support

Although 2,600 workers participated in a 24-hour strike on December 12, 2005, Stanford University adequately retained important student services and, thus far, has refused to meet the union’s demands. State Assemblyman Ira Ruskin, a democrat representing Los Altos, asked the university to meet the union’s demands during a rally held at noon during the day of the strike.

Harper in the North: The Rise of Conservatism in Canada

In September 2003, The Economist looked north and waxed poetic about America’s foremost – yet oft-neglected – ally and trading partner. “A cautious case can be made,” the newspaper suggested, “that Canada is now rather cool.” But just two years later, Foreign Editor Peter David was forced to reexamine his newspaper’s optimistic stance on the US’ northern neighbor.

Editor's Note

The term “limited government” is not nearly as clear of a mandate as one might expect. It has been a rallying cry among conservatives for years and yet, when faced with the task of defining the ideal “limited government,” I think one would find significant disagreement, even among Republicans, as to where the boundaries of government should lie.

Painting the Bulldozer

It is time to go beyond the obvious. Ariel Sharon’s career is finished. Yes, similar talk was heard in 1956. And 1974. And 1983. But such declarations were never convincing. This time, Sharon’s deteriorating health leaves no room for doubt.

The Future of American Unity: 3000 Years

These days one cannot read an article about American politics without finding something pertaining to the increasing disparity between the opinions of groups of American voters. In the recent presidential elections, the concept of the landslide victory has been lost, replaced by chillingly close percentages that demonstrate the potential discrepancies between the Electoral College and the popular vote.