Close-up of a fountain pen writing on a parchment with cursive handwriting.

Timothy Kilbourn

Timothy D. Kilbourn spent almost thirty years as a military analyst with the Central Intelligence Agency. He was deputy director of two divisions and served for several years as the daily briefer to President George W. Bush.

Read Timothy Kilbourn’s Essays

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Benjamin Franklin and Confucius: Unlikely Fellow Travelers
Benjamin Franklin and Confucius: Unlikely Fellow Travelers

Federalist 68
Federalist 68

The Prize Cases (1863)
The Prize Cases (1863)

Federalist 67
Federalist 67

Scott v. Sandford (1857)
Scott v. Sandford (1857)

How Centers for Classical Education Can Save the Humanities
How Centers for Classical Education Can Save the Humanities

Barron v. The Mayor and the City of Baltimore (1833)
Barron v. The Mayor and the City of Baltimore (1833)

Federalist 66
Federalist 66

Ford to New York City: Drop Dead?
Ford to New York City: Drop Dead?

Is Conservatism a Lifestyle Brand Now?
Is Conservatism a Lifestyle Brand Now?

Federalist 65
Federalist 65

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Worcester v Georgia

Federalist 64
Federalist 64

The Post-Literate Republic
The Post-Literate Republic

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)
Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

Gerald R. Ford, William F. Buckley, Jr., and Napoleon
Gerald R. Ford, William F. Buckley, Jr., and Napoleon

Court Minutes.png
McCulloch v. Maryland

The Paradox of Leadership
The Paradox of Leadership

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Federalist 63
Federalist 63

Federalist 62
Federalist 62

Gangs United: Ritualistic Violence as Peacemaker in West Side Story
Gangs United: Ritualistic Violence as Peacemaker in West Side Story

Martin v. Hunter’s Lessee (1816)
Martin v. Hunter’s Lessee (1816)

The Smile That AI Can't Fake
The Smile That AI Can't Fake

Federalist 61
Federalist 61

Fletcher v. Peck
Fletcher v. Peck

Marbury v. Madison (1803)
Marbury v. Madison (1803)

It has been said that Marbury v. Madison is the most significant case ever decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. The accolade may be overstated because the legal dispute between Marbury and Madison was left unresolved.

Federalist 60
Federalist 60

Ford’s Presidential Brushes with Death
Ford’s Presidential Brushes with Death

Federalist 59
Federalist 59