What four California ballot initiatives reveal about race relations in the U.S.

In 2020, America’s three biggest problems — according to Americans — were the coronavirus pandemic, poor political leadership and race relations. Voters expressed their preferences on the first two by throwing President Trump out of the White House. The election provided little insight on racial issues, however: There is no […] Read more »

Greater Voice, Greater Impact: Americans’ Views on Making Democracy Work for Everyone

From impeachment and divisive rhetoric to an aging infrastructure and runaway health care costs, Americans have long faced evidence that neither our politics nor our government functions as it should. The 2020 coronavirus pandemic has made those challenges even more stark, turning political dysfunction, divisiveness, and inequalities into matters of […] Read more »

California forges a path through America’s racial divide

At a moment of profound national tension over race, California may be lighting a pathway toward greater racial reconciliation as America grows irreversibly more diverse in the years ahead. The California state legislature is moving toward approving legislation this month that would place on the November ballot a referendum to […] Read more »

You could teach a political science class on all of Tom Steyer’s bad ideas

With so many entrants in the Democratic primary field, many observers have wondered what billionaire Tom Steyer’s candidacy adds to the race. Here’s one answer: Steyer is a gift to political scientists. His campaign offers us an unusual opportunity to explain why the “reforms” he champions as magical solutions to […] Read more »

On Guns, Public Opinion and Public Policy Often Diverge

Polls show that public support for tighter guns laws is rising. Alone, that doesn’t mean Congress is going to expand gun control anytime soon. Public opinion and public policy on guns have seemed to be at odds for decades. Measures like universal background checks often attract the support of more […] Read more »