It’s easy to be skeptical of idealistic notions of American power, the indispensable nation that some have talked about, when the history of the last 25 years is of misguided conflicts in the Middle East and a democratic backsliding at home. But through it all, Washington Post columnist Shadi Hamid takes readers through a compelling case for American power. 

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Nearly one in four doctors in the U.S. is foreign-born—many from South Asia—and they often serve in rural and underserved urban communities where American physicians are scarce. Harvard medical historian Eram Alam describes the public health challenges posed when immigrants are frequently met with suspicion in the communities they serve.

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As 2025 draws to a close, we look back on the major stories that shaped public life in the last year with Evelyn Farkas of the McCain Institute at Arizona State University.

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During the Renaissance, ruling families like the Medicis funded the creation of great works of art that dazzle us to this day. In the modern era, the ability of democracies to fund the arts is often contentious and even controversial. Arts advocate Erin Harkey discusses the value of art in public life.

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An alarming number of Americans are receptive to the lure of conspiracy thinking. Pollster Stephen Clermont unpacks the most popular conspiracy theories and what they tell us about current American politics.

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As the contours of public debate coarsen, it's easy to brand political rivals with epithets from the worst chapters in history. Tom Nichols, a writer for The Atlantic, warns about doing just that.

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In the aftermath of George Floyd's murder, a long, simmering effort to rename U.S. military installations previously named for Confederate officers gained momentum. Historian and retired Army Brigadier General Ty Seidule recounts the effort to rid the military of old names, as well as the actions by the Trump administration to resuscitate old ghosts.

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On October 19, 1979, a massive tropical cyclone struck Japan and the Marines stationed at Camp Fuji. Retired Marine and journalist Chas Henry recounts the ensuing firestorm that swept the island, killing 13 Marines and wounding more than 70 others.

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Brown University public policy, political science and urban studies professor Marion Orr takes a fresh look at the life and legacy of Congressman Charles C. Diggs Jr., one of the most consequential Black federal legislators in American history.

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The challenges facing American healthcare are substantial, but Dr. Troy Brennan, who teaches at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, says they all stem from long-simmering issues in primary care.

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