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Sean Illing

Sean Illing

Host of The Gray Area

    Latest articles by Sean Illing

    Politics
    How elite colleges fail half of the poor students they admitHow elite colleges fail half of the poor students they admit
    Politics

    “Access isn’t the same as acceptance,” says Harvard professor Anthony Abraham Jack.

    By Sean Illing
    Culture
    The new American religion of UFOsThe new American religion of UFOs
    Culture

    Belief in aliens is like faith in religion — and may come to replace it.

    By Sean Illing
    Politics
    Why conservatives are winning the internetWhy conservatives are winning the internet
    Politics

    A new book explains why digital activism helps conservatives more than liberals.

    By Sean Illing
    The end of forgetting
    Culture

    How social media makes it impossible to escape the past.

    By Sean Illing
    Politics
    How the baby boomers wrecked the economy for millennialsHow the baby boomers wrecked the economy for millennials
    Politics

    A Wall Street Journal columnist and I disagree about what went wrong.

    By Sean Illing
    Politics
    How do we know if we’re in a constitutional crisis? 11 experts explain.How do we know if we’re in a constitutional crisis? 11 experts explain.
    Politics

    It’s complicated, but this will help.

    By Sean Illing
    Future Perfect
    How bad prosecutors fuel America’s mass incarceration problemHow bad prosecutors fuel America’s mass incarceration problem
    Future Perfect

    Want to fix the criminal justice system? Start with overzealous prosecutors.

    By Sean Illing
    Culture
    How golf explains Trump. Seriously.How golf explains Trump. Seriously.
    Culture

    “This guy cheats like a mafia accountant.”

    By Sean Illing
    Culture
    What’s wrong with America? I debate Ben Shapiro.What’s wrong with America? I debate Ben Shapiro.
    Culture

    Shapiro blames our woes on our retreat from Judeo-Christian principles. But history presents a more complicated picture.

    By Sean Illing
    Politics
    Can Congress force Trump to hand over his tax returns? I asked 11 legal experts.Can Congress force Trump to hand over his tax returns? I asked 11 legal experts.
    Politics

    Probably, but it’s complicated.

    By Sean Illing