Q.E.D. Quod erat demonstrandum. You see it at the end of a mathematical proof or maybe you hear it at the end of an argument. It’s Latin and it means, more or less, that you’ve proven your point. It’s also the name of a new website, dedicated to domestic policy, that launches at the New Republic on Monday.
Writing on policy is a century-old tradition in these parts. It goes back to the days when Herbert Croly, Walter Lippmann, and kindred spirits sketched out their vision for the Progressive Era—and then the New Deal. Today that conversation continues. It's faster, more complex, and more serious than ever before. Readers expect a lot more information and they want to absorb it in different ways. But they still want answers to the old questions, too. What should be done? What can be done? On climate change, economic security, reproductive rights, the safety net—the stakes are as high as ever.
Q.E.D. will help you follow and think through these issues—by providing consistent, timely coverage of domestic policy and giving it a special home within the New Republic. It’s a blog or, if you want to use the industry term, a “vertical.” It will feature writing from a core team of writers—Rebecca Leber, Danny Vinik, and me—as well as contributions from other New Republic writers, some on staff and some from our extended family.
Q.E.D. will have some regularly recurring features, like "QEDaily," a morning newsletter, and "QEData," where writers will break down statistics. With “QEDecide,” we'll ask some of the nation’s leading experts to make arguments about the most important topics of our time—in accessible, question-and-answer style. We hope it’s the kind of feature people find worth reading once—and then revisiting, as a reference, when issues come back to the news.
Which brings us back to Q.E.D. With a mathematical proof, you make an argument, you prove your point, and you show your work. That’s how it will be here. This is opinion journalism, but we take the “journalism” part as seriously as we take the “opinion.” Writers won’t hide their values, but they won’t argue with emotion, either. There’s a shared sense of purpose here, but there’s also a passionate commitment to civility and to truth, in all of its complexity.
Like everything on the Internet, this is a work in progress. We’re starting small. Over time, we will grow and evolve. So subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook—and, above all, let us know how we're doing. We think we can make a difference and, hopefully, have some fun along the way. Thanks for giving us your time.
—Jonathan Cohn
CLIMATE: Hank Paulson urges conservatives to join him in fighting global warming. Paul Krugman wishes Paulson well—and thinks it’s not going to happen.
HEALTH CARE: Jonathan Chait applauds conservative for finally being truthful about why they hate Obamacare: It helps poor and sick people, at the expense of the rich and healthy.
ECONOMY: The Wall Street Journal reports that companies are expecting wage growth to pick up soon. Cue inflation hawks screaming in 3, 2, 1….
IMPEACHMENT: The South Dakota Republican Party passed a resolution this weekend calling for Obama's impeachment. You name the issue, they say Obama violated his oath over it.
Data point that surprised us: "One in five people in their 20s and early 30s is currently living with his or her parents" — via Adam Davison in the New York Times
Data point that depressed us: It will probably be 100 years before women hold half the seats in Congress — via Amanda Marcotte at Slate
Story we’ll be watching today: The White House is co-sponsoring a summit on work and family. The President, Vice President, and First Lady are all speaking—which is pretty unusual. But will it be enough to break through the usual noise and distractions?
At QED: Danny wonders what Democrats will say about the economy in 2016, Rebecca explains why so many kids are coming across the Southern Border, and Jonathan talks about his really bad case of Sweden envy. Taylor Malmsheimer games out the possibilities for a ruling in the Hobby Lobby case—and how the effects might go beyond contraception policy. Bryce Covert asks: When will we see men as “working fathers”?