About Dark Before Dawn

Dark Before Dawn is a political newsletter for people tired of being lied to about how government actually works.

This publication focuses on power, incentives, bureaucracy, and institutional design — not vibes, personalities, or cable-news narratives. I’m a liberal who believes democratic institutions can function, and a cynic who knows they often don’t for predictable reasons.

Some posts are analytical and measured. Others are blunt and impatient. That’s intentional. Anger isn’t the point, but it is sometimes the appropriate response to systems that harm people while insisting nothing fundamental is wrong.

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What Dark Before Dawn Is For

Access and support

Everything published here is free and will remain free. There is no paywall and no gated content.

If readers find the work valuable, there is an optional paid subscription and an occasional tip jar — not for access, but as a way to support the time and effort behind the writing. Subscribing for free gives you full access to every post.


What you’ll find here

  • Clear-eyed political analysis

  • Explanations of why bad outcomes repeat

  • Writing that treats institutional failure as predictable, not mysterious

This newsletter is for readers who care about governance, democracy, and understanding how power actually operates — even when that understanding is uncomfortable.

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Subscribe to Dark Before Dawn

Dark Before Dawn is a political newsletter for people tired of being lied to about how government works. I’m a liberal, writing with a cynic’s eye for incentives, power, and institutional failure — not vibes, personalities, or comforting myths.

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