Attack ads have become part and parcel of the modern political process, but it turns out negative campaigning has a much longer history, one that began centuries ago. Ellen Millender, professor of classics and humanities at Reed College explains why Greek and Roman politicians might feel at home in modern Washington. 

After 11 years in the job Shirley Tilghman, Princeton University’s first female president, will be stepping down at the end of the academic year. What does she consider her biggest accomplishment?

The revival of American manufacturing has been a constant refrain in presidential campaigns, and 2012 is no exception. But does American manufacturing have a future? In a new book, "Producing Prosperity: Why America Needs a Manufacturing Renaissance," Harvard Business School professors Gary Pisano and Willy Shih argue that it must — and that manufacturing is the key to American innovation.

As the candidates prepare to face off again tonight in the second presidential debate, there is actually something the two men finally agree on: the format. Tonight's debate at Hofstra University is town-hall style, meaning all questions come from the audience. The campaigns have also agreed that the moderator, Candy Crowley, will not be allowed ask follow-up questions.

Set in the 1960s, the AMC series "Mad Men," created by Matthew Weiner, documents the dramas of that turbulent decade through the personal, everyday lives of its characters. October 14, 2012 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, a historical event that serves as the backdrop to Mad Men's season two finale, "Meditations in an Emergency," which Weiner co-wrote and directed.

While Supreme Court decisions like Brown v. Board of Education can change the course of American history, they can also engender serious political backlash. Is litigation the best way to secure rights for minority groups?

On June 23, 2003, the Supreme Court upheld the affirmative action policy at the University of Michigan Law School. Today, just nine years after Justice O'Connor issued the Court's decision in Grutter, the Supreme Court will hear Fisher v. University of Texas, Austin, a case that has the potential to overturn affirmative action in higher education.

All this week, we've been hearing from a panel of seven voters in Lake County, Ohio. The Takeaway’s host John Hockenberry spent time there over the weekend to get a better sense of what matters to the people in this swing county, in the crucial swing state of Ohio.

All week, The Takeaway is speaking with voters from a swing county a crucial swing state: Lake County, Ohio. From liberal to conservative, from a 21-year-old student to a 79-year-old great-grandfather, The Takeaway's seven Lake County voters represented a diverse group.

Lake County, Ohio has become a good determiner of the way that the swing state will vote, and thus, is also a fairly good predictor of presidential elections. Seven voters coming from different backgrounds, and bringing very different concerns to the table, discuss what's swaying them.

The recently-released ADP September jobs report showed modest growth in the job market. While all of this will certainly be hailed as positive results from the Democrats, Republicans and other detractors will be quick to point out that job growth has been significantly less than what was expected.

After 18 months, and over 20,000 dead, there's still no end in sight for Syria. Martin Nesirky, spokesperson for U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, explains the U.N.'s strategy going forward.

Americans living with disabilities have a long and varied history in this country, as demonstrated in "A Disability History of the United States," a new book by Kim E. Nielsen, professor of history and disability studies at the University of Toledo. Professor Nielson examines this history from a cultural standpoint, as perceptions of disabilities changed dramatically when Europeans colonized the Americas, and as the country moved toward urbanization and industrialization in the 19th century. 

Fine art is one of the last mediums to resist the digital pull. We buy music, shoes, books, and anything else we want online, but art has remained a world apart. Carter Cleveland and Sebastian Cwilich, the developers of Art.sy, aim to change that.

Political junkies, economists, baseball scouts, meteorologists, and basically everyone else in the world is constantly trying to predict the future. And yet with the overwhelming amount of data that came with the information age, forecasters are often wrong — if not completely shocked — by the results.

The Supreme Court begins its 2012-2012 term today, just months after announcing its decision on the Affordable Care Act. While the Court has announced only half of the cases it will hear over the next nine months, Jeffrey Rosen, professor of law at George Washington University, explains that the Justices already have a number of contentious issues on the calendar.

Miami Herald correspondent Carol Rosenberg explains why Guantanamo is missing this campaign season, and what Americans still need to know about the detention facility. 

A new book by longtime Jerusalem correspondent Patrick Tyler argues that while Iran and other countries in the Middle East have no doubt contributed to the stalemate in the region, Israel's bellicose outlook has also impeded the prospects for peace. Tyler is the author of "Fortress Israel: The Inside Story of the Military Elite Who Run the Country – And Why They Can’t Make Peace."

As the host of CNN's State of the Union and the network's chief political correspondent, Candy Crowley has made a career of holding politicians accountable. A new challenge awaits her this political season: On Tuesday, October 16, Crowley will moderate the second presidential debate.

The BBC's Dan Damon is in Ohio this week for an in-depth look at the Midwest perspective on President Obama and Mitt Romney. This year, Ohioans are also in the midst of a contentious Senate race. Takeaway Washington Correspondent Todd Zwillich explains the shifting Ohio race, and looks at close Senate races across the country.