Brookings Institution

"Becky Carroll, a (Chicago Public Schools) spokeswoman, argued that big classes don't necessarily hamper learning. 'It's the quality of teaching in that classroom,' Carroll said. 'You could have a teacher that is high-quality that could take 40 kids in...

WASHINGTON -- There is something about Amtrak -- perhaps the romance of railroads or the promise of relieving traffic congestion and economizing on oil and greenhouse gas emissions -- that causes otherwise sensible people to lose contact with reality. The...

Democrats and Republicans in Washington agree: It would be a disaster if the "sequester," with its more than $1 trillion of cuts to defense and domestic spending, takes effect March 1, as scheduled. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says the reductions to...

I know from past experience that I'm going to upset some folks by saying this, so brace yourselves: Marriage is very important and beneficial to the raising of children, but there's little evidence that it fights crime. I bring this up in response to...

It's hard to recognize the Democratic Party these days. In recent decades, it's been a divided, brawling tribe. But this year, Democrats are one big, happy family. Sure, there was grumbling from the left over President Obama's agreement to keep tax cuts...

"Greetings from Maryland, home of the number one public school system in America for four years in a row!" That is how Gov. Martin O'Malley opened his speech at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., last week to a roar of applause. He...

WASHINGTON -- How long will it take to get to an unemployment rate of 6.5 percent? That's the target the Federal Reserve wants to reach before it begins raising interest rates. The best guess of top Fed officials is two and a half years from now or mid-...

As Election Day approaches, it's useful to look at the murky political transition taking place this month in China. It's a reminder of the benefits of America's sometimes chaotic democracy. The Chinese are facing a once-in-a-decade political shift as...

Who's the most influential billionaire business figure in national politics? If you answered one of the Koch brothers (Charles or David) or George Soros, you're wearing your partisan blinders. The former are known for their devotion to conservative...

Perhaps it was the "fog of simulation." But the scariest aspect of a U.S.-Iran war game staged this week was the way each side miscalculated the other's responses — and moved toward war even as the players thought they were choosing restrained...

Midway through his inaugural address, Barack Obama proclaimed, "A decade of war is now ending." A cynical listener might respond: "And a new decade of war is about to begin." Obama sounded pacific notes Monday. But it will be a huge surprise if he can get...

Today, Tribune columnist Eric Zorn debates the 2012 presidential race with conservative activist Chris Robling, a WGN-TV commentator and former executive director of the Cook County Republican Party. To Chris, from Eric: On the first night of the recent...