The Bernard L. Schwartz Fellows Program: Latest Publications

Chile’s Big Surprise

Erin Drankoski — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:34:00 -0500

Latin America has seen independent candidates run for office before. They have won in countries like Peru, with Alberto Fujimori and then Alejandro Toledo, and Colombia, with Álvaro Uribe. Caudillos like Venezuela's Hugo Chávez and Ecuador's Rafael Correa have bucked entrenched but sclerotic party systems. And leaders of broad movements have brought an end to decades-long single-party rule, as Fernando Lugo did with his victory in Paraguay over the Colorado Party. But something unusual is happening in Chile. In its upcoming presidential election,

What Ails the Senate

Erin Drankoski — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:05:00 -0500

In 1994, after Democrats lost control of the Senate, Senator Joe Lieberman called a press conference with his colleague Tom Harkin to announce their plan to reform the filibuster. "[People] are fed up--frustrated and fed up and angry about the way in which our government does not work," Lieberman said. "And I think the filibuster has become not only in reality an obstacle to accomplishment here, but it is also a symbol of a lot that ails Washington today." Lieberman and Harkin's proposal to weaken the filibuster came to a floor vote and was

Switching Channels

Erin Drankoski — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:28:00 -0500

The night of September 9 appeared to fulfill all the promise underlying NBC Universal's ambitious $2.7 billion acquisition in 2001 of Telemundo, the second-largest Spanish language television network in the U.S. On that night, the NBC sibling carried President Obama's important healthcare address to a joint session of Congress-on a slight delay to allow for dubbing into Spanish-followed by its highest-rated program ever, which reached more than 5 million viewers.

Behind the Democratic Wipeout

Erin Drankoski — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:54:00 -0500

After Republican victories in Virginia and New Jersey and a near-miss in upstate New York, conservatives have supposedly gotten their groove back. But it's not the same old groove. In the late 1990s, it was social issues that obsessed the American right: abortion, gay rights, gun control, Monica Lewinsky. After 9/11, it was the war on terror. Now both obsessions have faded. Doug Hoffman-the right-wing insurgent candidate for Congress in the 23rd District of New York-didn't even list his position on the Afghanistan surge on his Web site. Bob

America's Worst Governor?

Erin Drankoski — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:42:00 -0400

Charlie Crist is an extraordinarily gifted politician, known for his unpretentious and warm demeanor. He might also be America's worst governor. Given that there is a great deal of competition for this dubious honor, that's saying rather a lot.