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.
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You Can’t Rename Your Way to Respect
What “Lake America” says about maps, diplomacy, and the politics of insult.
Civic Witness Series - Questions from the Attic
How do institutions rebuild trust after years of people feeling talked at instead of listened to?
Hold Fast: Navigating the Ballot - How to Tell if a Candidate Respects the Rule of Law
A clear measure of a candidate’s commitment to the rule of law is what they do when the answer is “no.”
Some Honors Should be Bigger Than a President
Doris Miller earned his place in American history under fire. Why would we consider taking his name off an aircraft carrier?
She Wasn’t Crazy. She Was Convinced.
What a 1983 encounter with a Hitler admirer taught me about political devotion. I recognize it in America today.
The Signal You Send is the Policy You Make
For decades, U.S.-South Korean exercises have communicated readiness, resolve, and mutual commitment. Abruptly weakening them—without clear strategy or allied consultation—risks telling North Korea, South Korea, and China something Washington may not intend: that American reliability is conditional.
“Maybe” Is Not A Strategy
Trump says Iran is in a “so good” situation. Six months into the war, Washington still cannot explain what winning looks like.
Civic Witness Series - Questions from the Attic
How do institutions rebuild trust after years of people feeling talked at instead of listened to?
Hold Fast: Navigating the Ballot - What Voters Should Listen for
A tool to help voters spot vague slogans, evasion, and dangerous policy shortcuts.
Purged by Tweet
What my clearance revocation taught me about the destruction of a nonpartisan public service.
Civic Witness Series - Questions from the Attic
How do we reach people under 30 in a moment shaped by instability, outrage, and exhaustion?
Make America Yesterday Again
Trump’s assault on science, human welfare, American alliances and the modern world
Hold Fast: Navigating the Ballot - Why Alliances Matter
America’s greatest strategic advantage has never been going it alone.
The Era of Asking Is Over
Congress was never supposed to depend on executive permission to exercise its constitutional powers.
Hold Fast: Navigating the Ballot
A Practical Voter Guide Series on National Security Matters
The Veneer of Strength
America’s real strength is built in laboratories, shipyards, institutions and people, not painted onto monuments.
Civic Witness Series - Questions from the Attic
"In a culture obsessed with instant gratification, how do we encourage curiosity?"
What We’re Fighting For Is the Right to Fight
Why The Steady State’s mission is bigger than any particular political issue.