A pessimist could view this Washington gerontocracy as yet another symptom of national decline, uncomfortably reminiscent of the ailing Soviet general secretaries who died off seriatim in the Cold War’s final years.

They are worth reading seriatim and more than once.

Rather than pursue this notion in a chronological narrative, the authors take up different subjects seriatim, moving forward and back through time.

“If instead of defaulting seriatim and affecting a pose of anger toward creditors, it borrowed responsibly and honored its obligations.”

Great debates these days are seriatim speeches, often giving not only contradictory points of view but contradictory facts.