Author Archive

Julian E. Zelizer

Julian E. Zelizer is the Malcolm Stevenson Forbes, Class of 1941 Professor of History and Public Affairs at Princeton University and a fellow at the New America Foundation. He is the author of The Fierce Urgency of Now: Lyndon Johnson, Congress, and the Battle for the Great Society.
Julian E. Zelizer is the Malcolm Stevenson Forbes, Class of 1941 Professor of History and Public Affairs at Princeton University and a fellow at the New America Foundation. He is the author of The Fierce Urgency of Now: Lyndon Johnson, Congress, and the Battle for the Great Society.
Oversight

The End of the Strong Speaker

Paul Ryan’s departure shows how far Congress has come from the heyday of House leaders who tightly controlled their chamber.

Management

Why the Russia Investigation Could Be More Like Iran-Contra Than Watergate

Complexity, partisanship, and a strong presidential narrative insulated Ronald Reagan from meeting the same fate as Richard Nixon, and those factors could also protect Donald Trump.

Oversight

What Trump-Era Democrats Can Learn From LBJ

Lyndon B. Johnson was an effective policymaker but failed to protect his legacy—much in the same way Obama’s is being toppled today.

Oversight

Grading President Trump

While he gets high marks for using his executive power to enact policy changes, by most measures, he is not doing well.

Management

Analysis: Is It Time for the U.S. to Rein in the Presidency?

Two historians consider whether it’s time to raise the possibility of decentralization amid frustrations with the federal government.

Oversight

Is the Watergate-Comey Comparison Simply a Way to Score Partisan Points?

Two historians debate the FBI director’s dismissal and whether it’s reminiscent of the Nixon era—or if it’s just politics.

Management

A Field Guide to the Delegate-Hunting Season

If the GOP ends up in a brokered convention, the party might want to brush up on its 1976 contest—and the fine arts of groveling and goading.