Welcome to The New Realist

A REALIST'S VIEW

I am a professor of government and a Bloomberg News contributor, focusing on contemporary political analysis and commentary.

Drawing inspiration from Ludwig Wittgenstein, I view my role as “assembling reminders for a particular purpose.” Rather than prescribing what to think, I strive to provide clear, insightful information that enables readers to reach their own conclusions.

These “reminders” are rooted in realism, pragmatism, and practical solutions, designed to help readers navigate the mixed messages, illusions, and noise described by Plato in his Allegory of the Cave. Though always a formidable challenge, distinguishing reality from illusion has become increasingly complex in today’s socio-political landscape.

While realism is most frequently associated with international relations theory, my newsletter's approach aligns more closely with the broader realism articulated by E.E. Schattschneider in The Semi-Sovereign: A Realist’s View of Democracy in America.

I invite you to subscribe, engage with my analyses, and reach out with your thoughts. Look out for the inaugural edition of The New Realist arriving soon in your inbox.

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Notes:

Ludwig Wittgenstein Philosophical Investigations 127

Plato The Republic Book VII

E.E. Schattschneider, The Semi-Sovereign People: A Realist’s View of Democracy in America

The New Realist by Jeanne Sheehan Zaino

Contemporary political analysis from a realist’s perspective