Politics, we’re often told, is governed by rules — basic principles that explain not just what’s going to happen, but what rational candidates and parties can be expected to do. … Mr. Trump is not the first to test the basic assumptions about how politics works and how we predict […] Read more »
Beyond Distrust: How Americans View Their Government
A year ahead of the presidential election, the American public is deeply cynical about government, politics and the nation’s elected leaders in a way that has become quite familiar. Currently, just 19% say they can trust the government always or most of the time, among the lowest levels in the […] Read more »
How Policies Discussed in the GOP Debate Fare With the Public
The third Republican debate on Wednesday night may be best remembered for the contentious relationship between the presidential candidates and the CNBC moderators, but the debate did touch on a number of hot-button political issues. Gallup looks at how some of the policy proposals or positions on these issues from […] Read more »
Which Political Party Is In the Mainstream?
Primary battles take place on the edges of the electorate, but general elections are decided in the middle – in the political mainstream. So on a list of important issues which party is in the mainstream? It depends on your point of view, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street […] Read more »
Nobel Winner Prizes Data That Congress Disdains
Angus Deaton, this year’s winner of the Nobel in economic science, was honored for his rigorous and innovative use of data — including the collection and use of new surveys on individuals’ choices and behaviors — to measure living standards and guide policy. Reliable data is essential for policy makers. […] Read more »
Support for Planned Parenthood is down, but support for its federal funding is not
Planned Parenthood was once extremely popular. In 1989, A Gallup poll found that 82 percent Americans who had heard of the group viewed it in a favorable light, while only 11 percent viewed it unfavorably. In polling terms, that’s basically a consensus. But those days are long gone, and the […] Read more »