Skip to main content
The homepageVoxVox logo
The homepageVoxVox logo

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now
Sean Illing

Sean Illing

Host of The Gray Area

    Latest articles by Sean Illing

    Politics
    What Machiavelli can teach us about Trump and the decline of liberal democracyWhat Machiavelli can teach us about Trump and the decline of liberal democracy
    Politics

    The infamous philosopher had a lot to say about why democracies fall.

    By Sean Illing
    Education
    How corporate cash bought higher educationHow corporate cash bought higher education
    Education

    A new book explores how corporations are privatizing public universities.

    By Sean Illing
    Politics
    How to protest TrumpHow to protest Trump
    Politics

    Protesting matters — even if it doesn’t lead directly to change.

    By Sean Illing
    Politics
    Epistocracy: a political theorist’s case for letting only the informed voteEpistocracy: a political theorist’s case for letting only the informed vote
    Politics

    A political theorist’s provocative idea for how to fix democracy.

    By Sean Illing
    Midterm Elections 2018
    What the 2018 midterms mean for the Democrats’ gerrymandering dilemmaWhat the 2018 midterms mean for the Democrats’ gerrymandering dilemma
    Midterm Elections 2018

    It was a good night for Democrats, but not good enough.

    By Sean Illing
    Why science can’t replace religion
    Religion

    John Gray on the myths the “New Atheists” tell themselves.

    By Sean Illing
    Politics
    Why identity is a lie we can’t live withoutWhy identity is a lie we can’t live without
    Politics

    Kwame Anthony Appiah on how identity defines and distorts our politics.

    By Sean Illing
    Science
    A history of happiness explains why capitalism makes us feel empty insideA history of happiness explains why capitalism makes us feel empty inside
    Science

    Swedish researcher Carl Cederström on how corporations redefined happiness and turned hippies into Reagan voters.

    By Sean Illing
    Immigration
    Can Trump end birthright citizenship? I asked 11 legal experts.Can Trump end birthright citizenship? I asked 11 legal experts.
    Immigration

    Not exactly, but it could get complicated.

    By Sean Illing
    Politics
    Is America’s political violence problem getting worse? I asked 7 experts.Is America’s political violence problem getting worse? I asked 7 experts.
    Politics

    Yes, but this is hardly a new problem.

    By Sean Illing

    Most Popular

    1. The Supreme Court will decide when the police can use your phone to track you
    2. The war in Iran isn’t ending — it’s becoming something new
    3. Take a mental break with the newest Vox crossword
    4. The Air Quality Index and how to use it, explained
    5. Why millennials are feral for chicken Caesar wraps