What’s at Stake for Northern Ireland in the U.K. Elections?

Changing Demographics and Post-Brexit Tensions Could Mean a Reconciled and Reunified Ireland

Working in media I walk a tightrope every day trying to adequately reflect the nuance of life and political perspectives on the island of Ireland, in particular Northern Ireland.

Come election season, how people here choose to vote is never about just one issue. But, as always, the question of whether Northern Ireland should reunify with the Republic of Ireland is a consideration on many people’s minds—even though it isn’t on the ballot.

Northern Ireland is currently part of the United Kingdom. Along with voters in England, …

Why the U.K. Can’t ‘Level Up’

Weak Cities Are the Real Story Behind the British Crisis

What makes a country great?

Great cities.

That is a lesson the United Kingdom once knew well. Britain reached its imperial heights in the late 19th century in part because its municipalities …

Queen Elizabeth II Knew the Virtues of Being Vanilla | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Queen Elizabeth II Knew the Virtues of Being Vanilla

Not Offering an Opinion Was Key to the Monarch’s Success—A Strategy Her Son Would Do Well to Embrace

If the British monarchy is to survive, it needs someone who is as bland as Queen Elizabeth II.

You would look in vain for any controversial statements made by the queen …

How Everyday Britons Forced Their Government to Save Itself

During the 1832 “Days of May,” Citizens Threatened Outright Revolution Until Parliament Passed a Landmark Bill

The legislature had ground to a standstill on countless issues of national import. Special-interest dark money poured freely into the legislative process, and the public could never be sure whose …

Who Should Rule These Scottish Islands?

Even if All of Scotland Achieves Independence, the Archipelago of Orkney May Not Gain Sovereignty

Ten years ago a farmer was digging in his backyard in Ness of Brodgar—a village on one of the islands that makes up the Scottish archipelago of Orkney—when he came …