John Adams was not particularly optimistic about democracy. In an 1814 letter, he wrote: “Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” A new study of American public attitudes suggests our democracy indeed may be heading […] Read more »
More Republicans in the news? That’s not media bias
It’s difficult to measure media bias. Lawrey/shutterstock.com Dominik Stecula, University of Pennsylvania A July 20 report, analyzing news content from The New York Times and The Washington Post, found that Republican politicians get roughly 2.5 times as many mentions as Democrats. The report, produced by a progressive nonprofit Media Matters, […] Read more »
What The Rise Of Kamala Harris Tells Us About The Democratic Party
… Sen. Kamala Harris has not officially said she is running in 2020, but she hasn’t denied it, either, and she’s showing many of the signs of someone who is preparing for a run, including campaigning for her Democratic colleagues in key races and signing a deal to write a […] Read more »
Populist views in Europe: It’s not just the economy
Nationalist populism has become a major force in European politics. But while such populism has long been thought to have its roots in economic anxiety, a new analysis of Pew Research Center survey data suggests there are additional factors at play. Those who have a favorable opinion of populist parties […] Read more »
Immigration Surges to Top of Most Important Problem List
Immigration has risen to the top of the list when Americans are asked to name the most important problem facing the nation — edging out the government, which has been the top issue each month since January 2017. The 22% of Americans in July who say immigration is the top […] Read more »
Biased? Inaccurate? Americans Rate Media From PBS to Fox
Americans overwhelmingly say the news media are biased, and many also say news media are inaccurate. Why is this the case, and what can be done about it? How do Americans’ perceptions of specific media outlets’ bias and accuracy play a role in this loss of confidence? Sam Gill, vice […] Read more »