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Alison L. LaCroix

Alison L. LaCroix

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Alison L. LaCroix, a former member of the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States, is Professor of Law and an associate member of the History Department at the University of Chicago and the author of The Interbellum Constitution: Union, Commerce, and Slavery in the Age of Federalisms (Yale University Press, May 2024).

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  1. Alison L. LaCroix on the US Supreme Court, immigration policy, federalism, and more
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    Alison L. LaCroix on the US Supreme Court, immigration policy, federalism, and more

    Apr 30, 2024 Alison L. LaCroix explains why “originalist” methods of constitutional interpretation are deeply ahistorical, describes the zero-sum relationship between state and federal power in modern America, identifies possible historical analogues for the upcoming US presidential election, and more.

  2. Texas and the Perpetual Crisis of American Federalism
    lacroix2_ Michael GonzalezGetty Images_texasUSflags Michael Gonzalez/Getty Images

    Texas and the Perpetual Crisis of American Federalism

    Mar 26, 2024 Alison L. LaCroix highlights the constitutional threat posed by the state's attempt to impose its own immigration policy.

  3. James Madison v. Originalism
    lacroix1_Universal History ArchiveGetty Images_jamesmadison Universal History Archive/Getty Images

    James Madison v. Originalism

    Aug 26, 2022 Alison L. LaCroix shows that the dominant conservative method of constitutional interpretation is utterly ahistorical.

  1. mazzucato76_PEDRO PARDOAFP via Getty Images_rainforestindigenous Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images

    Global Freshwater Supplies in the Balance

    Mariana Mazzucato & Johan Rockström warn that governments are doing too little too slowly about the breakdown of critical natural systems.
  2. stanley5_Mindy SchauerMediaNews GroupOrange County Register via Getty Images_trump Mindy Schauer/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images
    Free to read

    The End of US Democracy Was All Too Predictable

    Jason Stanley

    Since Plato’s Republic 2,300 years ago, philosophers have understood the process by which demagogues come to power in free and fair elections, only to overthrow democracy and establish tyrannical rule. The process is straightforward, and we have now just watched it play out.

    observes that philosophers since Plato have understood how tyrants come to power in free elections.
  3. khrushcheva187_Chip SomodevillaGetty Images_trumpmcconnell Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

    How Trump Won

    Nina L. Khrushcheva

    Despite being a criminal, a charlatan, and an aspiring dictator, Donald Trump has won not only the Electoral College, but also the popular vote – a feat he did not achieve in 2016 or 2020. A nihilistic voter base, profit-hungry business leaders, and craven Republican politicians are to blame.

    points the finger at a nihilistic voter base, profit-hungry business leaders, and craven Republican politicians.
  4. woo7_Getty Images_ us china Getty Images

    Trump vs. China, Round Two

    Angela Huyue Zhang warns that if the US doubles down on aggressive policies, it risks becoming defined by what it opposes.
  5. legrain39_AntonioMasielloGettyImages_meloni_rutte Antonio Masiello/Getty Images

    How Europe Should Woo Trump

    Philippe Legrain outlines a strategy for EU leaders to win over the next US president and mitigate the threat he represents.
  6. spence178_NurPhotoGettyImages_china_deflation_supermarket1 NurPhoto/Getty Images

    China Can Beat Back Deflation

    Michael Spence predicts that, with the right policies, the economy’s growth momentum can be restored within 2-3 years.
  7. hamada67_KIM KYUNG-HOONPOOLAFP via Getty Images_ishiba Kim Kyung-Hoon/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

    Japan Needs Tighter Monetary Policy

    Koichi Hamada hopes that Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba recognizes the risks raised by an undervalued yen in today's economy.
  8. mahajan1_MONEYSHARMAGettyImages_female_train_driver MONEY SHARMA/Getty Images

    To Prosper, India Must Close Its Gender Employment Gap

    Kanika Mahajan urges policymakers to create an inclusive labor market by implementing business-friendly measures.
  9. bleicher1_Getty Images_digital dollar Getty Images

    Stablecoins Can Defend the Dollar’s Global Status

    Paul Ryan prefers a payments system built by private industry in the US to one built by the People’s Bank of China.

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