The year 2020 was dominated by three huge topics: the Covid-19 pandemic, the presidential election and the mass movement against racism. What else got the attention of America readers?
Robert David Sullivan
Robert David Sullivan is the production editor at America magazine. From 2013 to 2016 he wrote a political column called (Un)Conventional Wisdom.
Posted inExplainer, Politics & Society
Explainer: Has it always taken this long to count every vote? Yes and no.
There is nothing unprecedented in recent decades about close presidential elections—in fact, they’re almost always close these days—and there is also nothing new in a delay in finding out the winner.
Posted inExplainer, Politics & Society
Explainer: A brief history of the Catholic Vote in the United States
The Catholic vote in the United States is neither monolithic nor static.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
Catholics poised to decide whether Trump gets a second term
Even small shifts in the Catholic vote, which covers a lot of ground both geographically and ideologically, could make the difference in the presidential election, writes Robert David Sullivan.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
Covid-19 has thrived on economic inequality—and may make it even worse
Death rates from the coronavirus have been highest in low-income areas, writes Robert David Sullivan. And according to one measure of economic inequality, the U.S. more closely resembles Latin America and Africa than Europe.
Posted inNews Analysis, Politics & Society
Biden gets a bump in Trump Country, and 8 takeaways from the Michigan primary
Joe Biden’s victory in the Michigan primary is raising hopes he can rebuild the “blue wall,” but Robert David Sullivan writes that a Democratic coalition may not be easy to assemble this fall.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
A world of unrest: Watchdog group counts dozens of flashpoints across the globe
The Global Conflict Tracker, part of the Council on Foreign Relations, listed 26 “conflicts around the world of concern to the United States” as of February, and there are new threats on the horizon.
Posted inNews Analysis, Politics & Society
Joe Biden turns back the clock, and 6 other takeaways from Super Tuesday
Super Tuesday voters were not keen on a contested convention, writes Robert David Sullivan, and Sanders fumbled his opportunity to unite the Democratic Party.
Posted inNews Analysis, Politics & Society
Biden aims for inevitability, and 7 takeaways from South Carolina
The stop-Sanders movement is coalescing around Joe Biden, writes Robert David Sullivan, but is it too late? Super Tuesday may provide the answer.
Posted inNews Analysis, Politics & Society
Super Tuesday is a week away. Here are 6 takeaways from Bernie’s win in Nevada.
Bernie Sanders may yet unify the Democrats, writes Robert David Sullivan, but there are still questions about what to do if most primary voters oppose him.