The Week's Best Articles From the Washington Monthly
Remembering Kevin Drum ... how Europe can decouple from America ... the tax cuts Democrats should support ... and more
The 2025 Kukula Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Book Reviewing
The Washington Monthly is pleased to welcome submissions for the 2025 Kukula Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Book Reviewing.
The award, now in its sixth year, honors the memory of Kukula Kapoor Glastris, the longtime and beloved books editor at the Washington Monthly. It celebrates the kind of serious, public-affairs focused book reviews that Kuku loved best—and the talented people who practice this noble craft.
Nonfiction book reviewing is vital journalism that transmits hard-won reporting, research, and ideas to policymakers and citizens who can’t possibly read more than a fraction of the important books published each year. It also contributes to a healthy intellectual life. At a moment when our democratic institutions, our free speech, and the truth itself are all under assault, these goals could hardly be more urgent.
This summer, we will honor two outstanding reviewers, chosen from among ten finalists, for exceptional book reviewing. Our judges give priority to reviews of biographies and works about politics, public affairs, and history—themes central to this magazine’s brand of journalism.
Are you a book reviewer or reader who appreciates great reviews? Please help us spread the word or enter yourself for a chance to win a $1,000 prize and the admiration of your book-loving friends! Submission deadline is Friday, April 11. You’ll find all the eligibility details and our easy entry form here.
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The Week's Best Articles From the Washington Monthly
Remembering Kevin Drum: Editor in Chief Paul Glastris looks back on the life and legacy of the former Washington Monthly blogger. Click here for the full story.
Europe’s Rude Awakening: Tamar Jacoby, director of the Progressive Policy Institute’s New Ukraine Project, explores how Europe could decouple from the United States. Click here for the full story.
Democratic Candidates Should Shred Interest-Group Questionnaires: Jim Kessler and Lanae Erickson, from the center-left think tank Third Way, argue that interest group questionnaires harm electability. Click here for the full story.
The Smart, Targeted Tax Cuts Democrats Should Champion: Contributing Editor Phil Keisling proposes a refundable tax credit that offsets a portion of Social Security taxes. Click here for the full story.
Cut the Senate Democrats Some Slack: Politics Editor Bill Scher sympathizes with those in the Democratic Party who chose to avert a government shutdown. Click here for the full story.
Medicaid Needs Rebranding: Merrill Goozner, former editor of Modern Healthcare, explains how differently named state Medicaid programs rob the federal healthcare program of public support. Click here for the full story.
What The Washington Post Could Learn From Sports Illustrated: Executive Editor Digital Matthew Cooper remembers John Feinstein, the deceased sportswriter, with a book review first published in 1989. Click here for the full story.
Is Trump Now a Patron of the Arts?: James D. Zirin, author and legal analyst, reviews how the president has undermined the Kennedy Center. Click here for the full story.
Three Justices and a Fatal Mistake: Contributing Writer Cliff Sloan traces how three Supreme Court justices came to regret their decision to restore the death penalty. Click here for the full story.
Laying Down and Waiting for the Midterms is Not an Option: Contributing Writer David Atkins urges Democrats to wage fierce resistance to the Trump agenda. Click here for the full story.
I Regret to Inform You That Donald Trump Does Not Understand the Economy: Politics Editor Bill Scher questions the logic behind the president's tariff strategy. Click here for the full story.
New Washington Monthly Podcast Episode
Podcast host Anne Kim is joined by guest co-host and Editor in Chief Paul Glastris and Robert Kelchen, the education finance expert, to discuss whether colleges can survive the Trump agenda. Listen on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube.
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