‘The power of two’: How Manchin and Sinema are blocking a new Democratic consensus

It’s hard to see amid the stormy conflict with Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, but the elongated Democratic standoff over President Joe Biden’s economic agenda shows how far the party consensus has moved toward a more aggressive role for government than during the presidencies of Bill Clinton or even […] Read more »

Biden, Democrats failing to sell agenda to American people

Negotiations on the infrastructure and social program bills have consumed Capitol Hill for months. Still, a new ABC News/Ipsos poll out Sunday finds Democrats are failing to sell the legislation to the public, who are broadly unaware of what is in the spending packages or skeptical they would help people […] Read more »

There’s Opportunity in Independents

… In recent years, the parties’ focus—even obsession—over the wants and needs of their bases, to the exclusion of swing voters, has now become the norm. Republicans walk on eggshells trying not to offend a base that wants to fight culture wars and, notwithstanding the evidence, believes that former President […] Read more »

Democrats Need to Count Up, Not Down

With the finish line in sight (if still stubbornly out of reach) for the Democrats’ massive social-programs and economic development bill, the party now faces the challenge of focusing the attention of its key constituencies and the public on what remains in the package, not on what was cut in […] Read more »

A Majority Want Healthcare and Education Programs to Be High Priorities for the Spending Bill

As Democrats continue to debate the spending package and its social policy spending, most Americans agree funding for health care and education programs should be high priorities, while fewer say climate change, childcare, or paid family leave should have much importance. Americans are closely divided over the preferred approach to […] Read more »