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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.
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From Fighting Corruption Abroad to Fighting It at Home
A 40-year veteran of the U.S. State Department/Foreign Service examines the emerging corruption in his own country.
The Red Menace Returns! Or So We’re Told.
Trump is reviving the language of America’s Cold War Red Scares—but the real objective may have less to do with communism than with expanding the definition of the enemy.
How the Secretary of State Degraded his Own Intelligence Agency
One year after the State Department’s purge, a former INR analyst explains why he resigned and how the loss of expertise is making America less prepared for the crises ahead.
The Spies America Is Losing
Abandoning our democratic ideals by our leadership is destroying the CIA’s most valuable recruiting tool—the people willing to risk everything for what America once represented.
The Forgotten Parties of January 6
As courts revisit January 6 cases, federal law requires us to remember the people Congress said must never be ignored.
America Doesn’t Have Kings. It Has Billionaires.
In modern America, political influence is increasingly measured in billions of dollars.
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.
Having “The Conversation” About Threats to Democracy - Lessons Learned
Save the tinfoil hats in the closet
Due Process, Deferred
The Roberts Court’s TPS ruling isn’t just about immigration—it redefines who is protected by the Constitution.
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.
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.
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.
A Declaration of Independence for our Time
A Fourth of July reflection on power, citizenship, and the preservation of the Republic.
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.
The Robber Barons Never Left
They simply traded railroads and oil wells for algorithms, data, and political influence.
Common Sense, Take 2: States, Schools, and the Generational Roadmap
Political Experimentation: Building Democratic Capacity Through Civic Participation
How America Lost Canada - A Canadian Perspective
The greatest casualty of Trump’s foreign policy may be the trust of America’s closest ally.
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