The Problem With Treating Religious Freedom as an Unquestionable Good
In policy circles, religious freedom gets treated as if it’s self-evidently good—a foundational liberty democracies should defend without a second thought. The rhetoric practically preaches: “religious liberty is the first freedom,” “faith is a fundamental human right,” “restrict religion and you restrict the soul.” But the moment you stop treating religious freedom as a moral […]
Religious Freedom Is Not a Halo
In Washington and on op-ed pages, religious freedom still floats above the fray, gilded and unquestionable. Suggest it might have a dark side and you get branded a bigot or worse. I’ve spent my career watching how religious institutions gather and spend power, and this reflexive sanctimony strikes me as intellectually dishonest and politically reckless. […]
When Freedom Becomes a Shield: Rethinking Religious Liberty as Public Policy
In Western policy circles, religious freedom still shows up draped in the language of universal rights. Unimpeachable. Self-evident. Not up for discussion. For decades, scholars, diplomats, and legislators have treated it as a first-order good—a cornerstone of liberal democracy that needs protecting before anything else gets a look-in. I want to push back on that. […]
How Faith-Based Lobbying Shapes Policy in Ways Secular Groups Cannot Match
Most legislators don’t decide how to vote on family leave, criminal justice reform, or foreign aid because one crisp policy memo landed on their desk. Lobbying, when it actually works, is a slow grind of credibility, networks, and sheer relentlessness. Religious organizations come to that fight carrying assets that secular nonprofits and corporate interests can’t […]
Why Religious Institutions Are Political Actors Whether They Admit It or Not
Religious institutions like to claim they stand apart from the mess of partisan politics. They present themselves as keepers of moral values, spiritual shelters, prophetic voices that speak truth to power without grasping for it. It’s a useful pose. It lets them claim the high ground while sidestepping the grubby deals of elections. But it […]
Why Religious Institutions Are Political Actors Whether They Admit It or Not
Every time the World Council of Churches puts out a statement on debt relief for developing nations, or a local diocese files an amicus brief in a Supreme Court case, the responses split down a predictable seam. Some people applaud the moral clarity. Others grumble that religion should keep its nose out of politics. Both […]
The Inescapable Political Reality of Religious Institutions
Religious institutions routinely insist they exist apart from politics. Denominational leaders issue statements about “staying above the fray.” Seminaries train clergy to minister, not legislate. Tax codes reinforce the distinction by prohibiting partisan campaigning from the pulpit. The entire Institutional apparatus of organized religion in most democracies is built on the premise that faith occupies […]
Why Zoning Has Become the Central Political Battleground of 2026
The Structural Shift: Why Local Land Use Policy Became National Politics Zoning regulations might seem like the most tedious possible subject for political conflict. Yet by 2026, local zoning laws have emerged as perhaps the most consequential battleground in American politics, precisely because they sit at the intersection of several structural forces that no amount […]
Germany’s New Government Under Merz: Reading the Tea Leaves of European Center-Right Governance
The Election Results and What They Actually Tell Us About German Politics When Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union won the February 2025 federal election with approximately 28.5 percent of the vote, political observers across Europe noted that this was the party’s strongest performance in over a decade. Yet this framing, while […]
Trump’s Second Term Tariff Architecture: How April’s Liberation Day Reshaped Global Trade
The Deceptive Simplicity of Reciprocal Tariffs On April 2, 2025, President Trump announced what his administration branded “Liberation Day” – a sweeping tariff regime implemented through executive authority that appeared, on its surface, to embody a straightforward principle: reciprocal trade duties calibrated to match what other nations impose on American goods. The baseline levy of […]