The United States is divided not only by values or voting patterns, but increasingly also by public policy regimes that differ from state to state. On issues ranging from voting rights and abortion to climate policy and immigration, federalism has become a battleground for polarization

A university cannot rectify all inequalities. It can, however, choose whether to limit itself to selecting talent that is already visible or to help bring out further talent. It can accept that social mobility remains an exception, or work to ensure it becomes a more tangible possibility

From development aid to peacekeeping missions and migration policies, Western countries are gradually scaling back their engagement with the Global South. This shift is set to have consequences well beyond their borders

The largest study ever conducted in Brazil reveals that parents’ income and the area where children grow up continue to have a profound impact on the economic opportunities of subsequent generations

Democratic rules endure only when a political culture is willing to defend them. From gerrymandering to concentrated economic power and civil resistance, the midterms show how fragile a system can become when norms are hollowed out from within