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Deep Dives

Long-form investigations into presidential power, broken guardrails, and what we do next. No jargon. No prerequisites. Start anywhere.

The Pattern

Throughout American history, presidents have pushed the limits of their power. Each time, something broke. Each time, we tried to build a guardrail to stop it from happening again. And each time, the next president found the cracks.

This series traces that pattern from 1798 to today — from John Adams jailing newspaper editors to Trump firing the watchdogs created after Nixon. Three pieces. Three angles. One question: what do we build next?

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Part 1 of 3

The Worst of All of Them

Nine bad presidents. One who borrowed from every single one of them. A visual map connecting Trump to the worst behavior in American history.

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Part 2 of 3

The Scorecard

For every president who broke something, America tried to build a guardrail. Here's what they did, what we built, and whether it held.

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Part 3 of 3

Sweeping Up the Rubble

The guardrails are broken. Here's what we need to build next — a to-do list for Congress after we survive this.

Suggested reading order: Start with The Scorecard to learn the history, then see the connections in The Worst of All of Them, then find out what comes next in Sweeping Up the Rubble.

Part of The Midterm Project — voter education for the 2026 midterms.

Also explore: Learn · Re-elect or Reject · Follow the Money