This is where the Field Guide continues to grow. Here you’ll find reflections on civic life, current events, judgment, character, and the everyday habits that can help us become steadier, more thoughtful citizens.
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When Scrutiny Becomes Cruelty
Examining the records, qualifications, and conduct of candidates is an essential part of choosing our public officials. Sometimes that examination leads to uncomfortable criticism, even about deeply personal matters. And sometimes that criticism is entirely justified. But surely there must be a line between revealing something the public ought to know and finding something painful…
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Before We Repeat the Story
They confirm something we already suspect. They involve people or groups we may already distrust. They are disturbing enough that sharing them can feel less like spreading a rumor and more like warning others about something they need to know. Those are exactly the stories that deserve our greatest caution. The more damaging an accusation,…
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How to Apply Civic Principles Consistently in Politics
Sometimes the hardest test of a principle comes when it stops being convenient. We see a public figure say something cruel, misleading, reckless, or simply beneath the standard we think public life should require. If it is someone we already oppose, our judgment may come quickly. Then someone on our own side does something similar,…