Donald Trump is a disruptor. Few would disagree that his actions and style of political combat set him apart from past presidents. There is less consensus about the implications of Trump’s distinctive governing style for the health of American democracy, however. To understand how Americans rate their democracy in the […] Read more »
Are young voters going to sway the midterms? New data shows that’s not very likely.
The surge in activism among young Americans about gun laws after February’s Parkland, Fla., shootings, and that group’s general disapproval of President Trump, has raised the prospect that they will turn out at higher rates in this year’s midterm elections. … But a Washington Post analysis of voter registration data […] Read more »
Trying to Flip the House, ZIP code by ZIP code
… Swing Left’s mission of identifying 78 swing districts, 23 of which would have to be flipped in order to return the Democrats to power in the House, has found a receptive audience. The group has more than 400,000 members and has raised more than $9 million in donations so […] Read more »
Americans Say Economy Is ‘Most Important Thing Going Well’
The economy is Americans’ top response when asked to name the “most important thing going well” in the U.S. today, showing the flip side of Gallup’s list of the “most important problems” facing the nation. Economic factors are cited by 37% of Americans as what is going most well. CONT. […] Read more »
Feel-Good or Do-Good Politics
A few recent developments have again highlighted a tension in left politics. One is the public shaming of Trump administration officials, calling them out in venues like restaurants, a tactic encouraged by at least one Democratic congresswoman. Another is a never-say-die mobilization against Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, a campaign that […] Read more »
No, Democrats Aren’t Ruining Their Midterm Chances
Will Democratic gains in the November midterm elections be squandered by an inopportune bout of party infighting? … Political commentators often suggest that national parties maximize their electoral effectiveness when they push a single policy program or message. But the Democratic Party is organized as a coalition of social groups […] Read more »