The Senate was an odd compromise between the founders and the early leaders of the republic who wanted a single house which was based on popular sovereignty representing the people and those founders who wanted two houses, the upper house, the Senate, being the more aristocratic. George Packer aristocraticbasecompromise share on social
Everyone finds justification for his or her views in logic and analysis, but a personal philosophy often emerges from some archaic part of the mind, an early idea of how the world should be. George Packer analysisarchaicearly Change image and share on social
Climate change joined immigration, job creation, food safety, pilot training, veterans' care, campaign finance, transportation security, labor law, mine safety, wildfire management, and scores of executive and judicial appointments on the list of matters that the world's greatest deliberative body is incapable of addressing. George Packer bodycampaigncare share on social
Politics demands certain skills honed by experience, just as journalism does, just as acting does. George Packer actdemandexperience Change image and share on social
It suddenly occurred to me that the hottest tech startups are solving all the problems of being 20 years old, with cash on hand, because that's who thinks them up. George Packer cashhandhot Change image and share on social
For 20 years, my mother, my sister and I had seldom spoken of my father. If he happened to come up in conversation, pain and embarrassment entered the room and stayed until he disappeared back into the silence with which we all felt more at ease. George Packer backconversationdisappear share on social
To many book professionals, Amazon is a ruthless predator. The company claims to want a more literate world - and it came along when the book world was in distress, offering a vital new source of sales. George Packer amazonbookclaim share on social
America's vast population of working poor can only get so poor before even Walmart is out of reach. George Packer americapoorpopulation Change image and share on social
A curious thing about this rarefied world is that bloggers are almost unfailingly contemptuous toward everyone except one another. George Packer bloggercontemptuouscurious Change image and share on social
I've been interested in American politics since I was eight. That was in 1968. It was an interesting year. I was a huge Eugene McCarthy supporter, so I guess he was the first senator I really knew about and cared about. George Packer americancareeugene share on social