So many things about this election are unprecedented — and one of the most obvious is how much voters dislike the candidates. By now, everyone knows that this year features the two most unpopular presumptive major-party candidates on record. But in some ways, Americans’ dislike of the presidential candidates isn’t […] Read more »
Americans: Major Donors Sway Congress More Than Constituents
Large majorities of Americans believe that major donors and lobbyists have a significant amount of influence on how members of Congress vote on legislation, while far fewer think members’ constituents have this much influence. CONT. Michael W. Traugott, Gallup Read more »
Congress’ Harshest Critics Identify a Crisis of Influence
Congress’ harshest critics — the 53% of Americans who rate the job Congress is doing as poor or bad — feel more strongly about the undue influence that donors and lobbyists have on Congress than they do about any other major criticism of the institution. More than half of this […] Read more »
Welcome to the Never-Ending Primary
… Since the 1980s, both parties’ nominating contests have almost always been effectively decided by now. But this year’s race is illuminating structural changes that could make extended competition more common. The race for the presidential nomination was never a sprint. But it is evolving from a marathon into something […] Read more »
How the G.O.P. Elite Lost Its Voters to Donald Trump
… As the Republican Party collapses on itself, conservative leaders struggling to explain Mr. Trump’s appeal have largely seized on his unique qualities as a candidate: his larger-than-life persona, his ability to dominate the airwaves, his tough-sounding if unrealistic policy proposals. Others ascribe Mr. Trump’s rise to the xenophobia and […] Read more »
Republicans Rejected Elite Agenda Along With Rubio
Marco Rubio’s crushing defeat Tuesday night in his home state of Florida not only smashed his presidential campaign, it also represented a revolt against the policy agenda of Republican elites and donors on which Rubio’s platform was modeled. CONT. Sahil Kapur, Bloomberg Politics Read more »