… The old rules of GOP politics held that any Republican who stepped out of line to seek compromise with Democrats risked immediate attack for ideological heresy, or worse, squishiness and weakness. But Trump’s call for a “much stronger coming together” with Democrats last week earned him little direct public […] Read more »
Americans care far more about government working well than the federal debt
… Each month, Gallup surveys the country and asks which problem is most important at the moment. In recent months, the percentage of people identifying the debt (they can name more than one) has dwindled from about 5 percent two years ago to 1 or 2 percent. Part of that […] Read more »
In Texas, Distrust of Washington Collides with Need for Federal Aid
Few places need the federal government right now more than Texas does, as it begins to recover from Hurricane Harvey. Yet there are few states where the federal government is viewed with more resentment, suspicion and scorn. For Republicans, who dominate Texas government, anti-Washington sentiment is more than just a […] Read more »
Hurricane Harvey likely to provoke polarizing fights
Local communities almost always pull together on the ground after natural disasters like the torrential flooding that has submerged Houston. … Yet, once the immediate danger has passed, the response to the storm will raise larger political questions on at least two major fronts: the cost of recovery and the […] Read more »
Trump’s Immigration Agenda Makes a Fundamental Miscalculation
Like many of President Trump’s policies, the White House’s recent embrace of a plan to cut legal immigration in half rests on a fundamental misunderstanding of the economic relationship between “the brown and the gray.” That’s the phrase I’ve applied to America’s increasingly diverse younger generations and its predominantly white […] Read more »
Trump Approval Highest on Terrorism, Economy
On 10 hot-button issues, President Donald Trump gets the highest approval ratings for his handling of terrorism (46%) and the economy (45%). His lowest ratings are for healthcare policy (28%) and relations with Russia (30%). Trump’s frosty relations with the news media meet with approval from 34% of U.S. adults. […] Read more »