Gaurav
A Brief History of Presidential Debates
Presidential debates occupy a unique place in the American political process. Debates trace their ancestry to the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858, which were actually between Senators and focused mostly on the issue of slavery. The Lincoln-Douglas debates were long, often boring, and if voting returns from Illinois counties, where debates
In the Middle of Nowhere
Given that wealth is hard to measure, the middle class has often been defined in terms of income. Gary Burtless defines it as families earning anywhere between half of the median income ($24,000) to twice as much ($96,000). Frank Levy, based on Census data for families in their
Populism at the Gates
Andy Warhol's observation that "the best museum is a department store" proves increasingly prophetic as cultural institutions reshape themselves for broader market appeal. Contemporary museums have evolved beyond repositories of art into purveyors of cultural capital—selling not objects, but the social distinctions that come with
Interview: Saira Wasim
Saira Wasim is a US-based contemporary artist from Pakistan. Saira has carved a niche for herself with her innovative, meticulously crafted Persian miniatures, which she employs to make political and social commentary. Saira’s work has been widely feted. It has been exhibited at numerous prominent art institutions including the
A Walk Down the Memory Lane: Connaught Place
The romance of a Delhi summer can be savored by conjuring up just one image: the vast, cool corridors of Connaught Place.
The Raj-era building, built between 1928 and 1934 though formally opened in 1931, was based on the designs of World War I veteran Robert Tor Russell, Chief Architect
The Art and Artifice of Frida Kahlo
“Frida’s favorite subject was herself,” Meir Ronnen wrote in a review of Fridas Vater. Roughly one third (fifty-five) of Frida Kahlo’s paintings are self-portraits. The sheer number and preponderance of self-portraiture in her body of work is unmatched except perhaps by Munch, Rembrandt, and van Gogh. Comparing her
The General's Report Card: Education under Musharraf
Investment in education in developing countries has been shown to produce a variety of desirable outcomes, including a reduction in child mortality, lower fertility rates, and lower gender inequality. Funding for education, however, suffers deeply, especially in South Asia.
Given that education is a broad topic, I have split the
Elections Matter
Politics begets cynicism, especially during the campaigning season when each politician tries to outdo the other in spouting disingenuous and sometimes patently false statements. Cynicism, in turn, becomes the aegis with which we defend our apathy. It’s all the same! Why bother when nothing changes? So, are our peregrinations
Military Experience of US Presidents
The military regularly ranks as the most trusted institution in America in public opinion surveys. Veterans are regularly deified by politicians of every stripe as heroes rendering extraordinary service to the country. Even when politicians are articulating their dissent over a war, they frequently take the time to praise the