IdeaLog

The anthropology of MAGA

Posted on June 25, 2025

The MAGA worldview isn’t just political—it’s emotional, symbolic, and tribal. If we want to defend democracy, we need to understand what we’re really up against. That is a direct quote from “Understanding MAGA: A...

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Trump’s Razor—it’s always money and power

Posted on June 12, 2025

Like Occam’s Razor (the simplest explanation is usually best), we should recognize Trump’s Razor—that the truest motive for any of his actions is personal power and/or money. A corollary is that his actions are...

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Despite right-wing lies, crime is down

Posted on May 28, 2025

Trump and his allies rely on fear to advance their authoritarian agenda. A favorite tactic is to spread fear about crime, with the explicit or implicit message that they are talking about immigrants and...

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PLI Bulletin

Ranked Choice Voting, Medical Decisions, Anthropology of MAGA and More

Posted on June 25, 2025

Register New Residents Act: Whenever people move, they should register to vote or update their preexisting voter registration. That’s why Seattle enacted a simple ordinance that requires landlords to provide information on voter registration...

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Preemption, Green Earth, Police Force and More

Posted on June 12, 2025

Police Use of Force Act: Here we go again. Donald Trump is encouraging excessive force by police. The Police Use of Force Act limits law enforcement officers, requiring them to use no more force...

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Rideshare Protections, Election Analysis, Right-Wing Lies and More

Posted on May 28, 2025

Too Young to Test: Given their age, skills and abilities, it is developmentally inappropriate to administer standardized tests to students in prekindergarten through grade two unless it is necessary for diagnostic screening. In recognition...

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In the News

PLI President Gloria Totten in the New York Times

Posted on December 1, 2021

Where the Pro-Choice Movement Went Wrong, New York Times, December 1 …Having lost at the Supreme Court, anti-abortion organizations set out to restrict abortion in cities and states. By the late 1970s, the leading...

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The Lily features the Playbook for Abortion Rights

Posted on October 21, 2021

The Lily, published by The Washington Post, ran a story headlined “Lawmakers are racing to mimic the Texas abortion law in their own states” which includes PLI’s Playbook for Abortion Rights. That section of...

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New York enacts a PLI model

Posted on October 13, 2021

New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed legislation (S.343-A/A.3412-A) classifying certain threats to report a person’s immigration status as extortion or coercion under New York law. As acknowledged in the Governor’s statement about the...

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