How to write for The Argument
Who We Are
The Argument is a mission‑driven media company based in Washington, D.C. We make a positive, combative case for liberalism* through rigorous journalism that changes minds.
What We Cover
We commission reported essays and sharp commentary that sit at the intersection of policy and politics in three beats:
Politics and Economics of Growth
Abundance — housing, energy and infrastructure
Immigration and labor‑market dynamics
The welfare state, justice, and democracy
How policies encouraging economic growth interact with democratic institutions
Technology and Society
Governance of rapidly advancing tech such as artificial intelligence
How public policy and civil society can shape innovation
Sectoral analysis of the impact of new technologies in fields such as health care or education
Gender and Families
What 21st‑century egalitarianism should look like
Data‑driven analyses of gender, racial, and class disparities (using a comparative lens)
The role of policymakers, institutions, and individuals in ensuring freedom of gender expression
We are also interested in pitches that transcend these buckets, particularly ones that directly explore political liberalism, smart cultural commentary and surprising arguments. If you’re interested in reviewing a book within the liberal or postliberal tradition or providing an argument about TV, movies, art, music, books or other content that doesn’t devolve into “why my favorite TV show means you should be the exact kind of communist I am,” pitch us!
Mechanics
We are looking for roughly 1,800 to 2,500 words per article, but if your idea best fits in something shorter or longer — talk to us!
Tone: Clear, evidence‑driven and opinionated
What wins: Surprising data, fresh angles, comparative perspectives and original reporting that moves the debate
How to Pitch
Email pitches@theargumentmag.com with the subject line PITCH: followed by a concise slug. Include:
A one- to two-paragraph summary of your central argument
Any reporting you would like to do as part of this pitch
Whether you are responding to or critiquing any articles in The Argument or other publications.
We aim to respond within one week. We can’t wait to read your ideas and help you make an argument that matters.
*What is Liberalism?
How can we live with each other? This is the question that liberalism seeks to answer.
No need to reinvent the wheel. Instead, we’ll borrow from Judith Shklar: “The original and only defensible meaning of liberalism [is that] every adult should be able to make as many effective decisions without fear or favor about as many aspects of his or her life as is compatible with the like freedom of every other adult.”
This raises many questions — for instance, what an effective decision is and how that compatibility question is resolved — but the core point is clear: The core of liberalism is liberty.
But liberalism is not only about protecting people from state oppression. It is also the role of liberalism to foster a state that enables individuals to live freely. How can an adult make effective decisions without fear or favor if they have been denied an education? If they cannot marry who they want or access the books they want to read? If they have no access to transportation between home and school? If they fear assault when they go grocery shopping? If companies exploit them at work without oversight? “When comparing societies and assessing them for their basic decency or justice, [the question] is, 'What is each person able to do and to be?’”
The mere theoretical possibility of accessing an education, having a family or finding a good job falls short of what justice requires. Here at The Argument, we care about “freedom to” as much as we care about “freedom from.” We believe in empowering individuals, that each human has equal worth, that the world can be made better through human action and that democracy is the best form of political organization.
We believe that there is reasonable disagreement about what a good life looks and feels like. We believe it’s possible that a vow of chastity could be a good life for one person while a life full of one-night stands could be a good life for another.
But we are not agnostic between all possible lives — our commitment to individual liberties is not an excuse to wash our hands of judgment or devolve into moral relativism. There are better and worse kinds of lives, better and worse ways to conduct ourselves, better and worse decisions.
Come argue with us. We’re libbing out.