Insights

Join 450+ former national security and intelligence officials as they break down today's most complex issues. Bound by a shared oath to defend the Constitution, The Steady State provides the expert commentary you need to navigate uncertain times.

Robert Bruce Adolph 7/9/26 Robert Bruce Adolph 7/9/26

America Doesn’t Have Kings. It Has Billionaires.

In modern America, political influence is increasingly measured in billions of dollars.

Ken Syring 7/8/26 Ken Syring 7/8/26

Common Sense Take II: States, Schools, and Communities - Part 3

The habits that hold a free society together are not inherited – they must be practiced. Or, they will be lost.

Charles A. Ray 7/8/26 Charles A. Ray 7/8/26

Having “The Conversation” About Threats to Democracy - Lessons Learned

Save the tinfoil hats in the closet

James P Petrila 7/7/26 James P Petrila 7/7/26

Due Process, Deferred

The Roberts Court’s TPS ruling isn’t just about immigration—it redefines who is protected by the Constitution.

Harry I. Hannah 7/6/26 Harry I. Hannah 7/6/26

The Missing Institution in America’s Democratic Crisis

Republicans and Democrats both have weakened the institutions that connect citizens to government—and democracy cannot function without them.

Martha Duncan 7/4/26 Martha Duncan 7/4/26

The Flag Is Not a Prop

A retired Army officer reflects on what America’s 250th birthday should remind us about patriotism, constitutional duty, and the oath that outlasts every president.

Annie Pforzheimer 7/4/26 Annie Pforzheimer 7/4/26

I've Seen Elections Stolen Before. I Never Expected to Worry About America.

A former U.S. diplomat who observed elections in Afghanistan, Haiti, Guatemala, and Colombia explains why the warning signs she’s spent a lifetime recognizing now feel uncomfortably familiar.

George Kroner 7/3/26 George Kroner 7/3/26

A Declaration of Independence for our Time

A Fourth of July reflection on power, citizenship, and the preservation of the Republic.

Max Estevao 7/3/26 Max Estevao 7/3/26

Common Sense Take II: States, Schools, and the Generational Roadmap - Part Two

Democracy Isn’t a Thing We Have. It’s a Thing We Do.

Bill Piekney 7/2/26 Bill Piekney 7/2/26

The Robber Barons Never Left

They simply traded railroads and oil wells for algorithms, data, and political influence.

Adam Wasserman 7/1/26 Adam Wasserman 7/1/26

Common Sense, Take 2: States, Schools, and the Generational Roadmap

Political Experimentation: Building Democratic Capacity Through Civic Participation

The Steady State 6/30/26 The Steady State 6/30/26

An Open Letter to Current Federal National Security Employees Regarding Classification

The Steady State 6/30/26 The Steady State 6/30/26

How America Lost Canada - A Canadian Perspective

The greatest casualty of Trump’s foreign policy may be the trust of America’s closest ally.

The Steady State 6/29/26 The Steady State 6/29/26

She Posted that an ICE Agent Should Be Indicted. Federal Agents Came Knocking

When expressing an opinion about a federal agent brings officers to your home—and even your polling place

Katherine Culliton-Gonzalez 6/27/26 Katherine Culliton-Gonzalez 6/27/26

Birthright Is America’s Strategic Advantage

The fight over the Fourteenth Amendment is about more than immigration—it’s about whether America abandons a democratic principle that has long strengthened its security and leadership.