A biweekly newsletter on constitutional law, all the big Supreme Court rulings, and American history from Reason and Damon Root.
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Damon Root is a senior editor at Reason and the author of two books: A Glorious Liberty: Frederick Douglass and the Fight for an Antislavery Constitution and Overruled: The Long War for Control of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Reason exists outside of the left/right echo chamber. Our goal is to deliver fresh, unbiased information and insights to our readers, viewers, and listeners every day.
A weekly newsletter from Reason columnist J.D. Tuccille on core LIBERTY issues such as government overreach and tangible threats to individual freedom.
J.D. Tuccille is a former managing editor of Reason.com and current contributing editor. Having started his online career in the days of proprietary online services, and seen them swept away by the Internet, he's a believer in the liberating and transformative power of new media.
Tuccille has worked for ZDNet, the New York Daily News, and forgotten dot-coms and dot-orgs. For years, he edited the late, lamented Freedom News Daily for the equally mourned Free-Market.Net. His provocative and often witty (says he) columns on topics including civil liberties and government overreach have appeared in publications including the Arizona Republic, the Denver Post and the Washington Times.
He is also the author of the comic-adventure novel, High Desert Barbecue, which reviewers have kindly described as "fun," "a very polished novel" and "filled with likable characters, tons of humor, and a nice sprinkling of libertarianism throughout."
An enthusiastic explorer of the American Southwest's deserts, mountains, and forests, Tuccille resides in rural northern Arizona.
American Partisanship Affects Nationality
If you suspect that many Americans prize their partisan affiliations above their common status as U.S. citizens, the evidence keeps rolling in to support your position. Pride in being an American has reached an all-time low even as we prepare to celebrate Independence Day. More telling is that Americans' pride—or lack thereof—in the one big thing they have in common seems increasingly linked to whether their preferred politicians are in power. The partisan nature of Americans' regard for their nationality affects many people across the political spectrum but is especially pronounced among Democrats...
7.2.2025
The debate over a U.S role in Israel's war with Iran raises two big questions: 1) Should the U.S. intervene? 2) Who gets to make that decision? At stake are human lives, expense, and potential repercussions. The second question also involves constitutional responsibilities long neglected by Congress in favor of letting presidents take credit, or blame, for military actions. While President Donald Trump seems inclined to continue the tradition of unilateral warmaking, lawmakers skeptical of U.S. intervention are asserting themselves. They're right that the legislative branch should have a say...
In Dangerous Times, Train for Self-Defense
President Donald Trump isn't the first U.S. leader to contemplate annexing Canada, though he may be the first to take the idea seriously in a long time—if he is serious. The "51st state" comments and maps of a unified North America could be an elaborate joke with no obvious punchline. If it's a joke, Canadians aren't amused; they're upset and making plans to defend their country against a hostile takeover. Standing in the way, though, is their country's pathetic excuse for a military, and the severe restrictions, relative to the U.S., that Canada's government imposes on private weapons needed to resist an invasion. If they're to avoid becoming Americans, Canadians need to become a little more American...
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One of the final cases the U.S. Supreme Court decided at the end of its term last week was Mahmoud v. Taylor, in which a majority recognized the right of parents to opt out of lessons contrary to families' religious beliefs. In some circles, the decision is being portrayed as a setback for the treatment of gays, lesbians, and the differently gendered, since they were the focus of the books that the victorious plaintiffs objected to. That gets it all wrong. This case is really about the right of families to guide their children's education and the difficulty of doing that in the rigid confines of one-size-fits-some government schools...
6.30.2025
6.20.2025
6.20.2025
If you're going to own a tool, it's best to know how to properly use it. That's as true for firearms as it is for chainsaws. Given the rising temperature of American politics, including escalating violence against people and property, my wife Wendy and I decided it was time to up our game when it came to self-defense. To that end, we enrolled in Gunsite Academy's Defensive Pistol class...
To Remain Canadian, Our Northern Neighbors Should Become a Little More American
5.24.2025
More About the Editor
School Choice Could Fix Conflicts That Led to the Supreme Court's Mahmoud Decision
War With Iran Should Be Determined by Congressional Debate, Not Presidential Whim