The most competitive battleground states are breaking against President Trump and the congressional Republicans, millennials are showing signs of life, disaffected Republicans are fracturing, and voters are angry about corrupt deals for wealthy corporate donors and self-dealing politicians. Something new and fundamental is happening, but will Democrats do what they […] Read more »
Trump Has Met the Public’s Modest Expectations for His Presidency
Just prior to the 2016 election, the public had fairly low expectations for Donald Trump’s presidency. Majorities of Americans said that if Trump was elected, he would not be likely to improve the way government works, set a high moral standard for the presidency or achieve other goals. And for […] Read more »
Erosion, polarization, and norm violations: Bright Line Watch Survey Report
Donald Trump is a disruptor. Few would disagree that his actions and style of political combat set him apart from past presidents. There is less consensus about the implications of Trump’s distinctive governing style for the health of American democracy, however. To understand how Americans rate their democracy in the […] Read more »
Culture of Corruption: 2018 Congressional Battleground Survey Results
A new battleground survey of Republican-held congressional districts shows Democrats are poised to make major gains this November, and that—with Republicans in Congress abandoning oversight of the Trump Administration—an anti-corruption theme has the potential to put Democratic candidates over the top by drawing support outside their traditional voting blocs. In […] Read more »
Americans distrusted US democracy long before Trump’s Russia problem
Historically, the high-water mark for American dissatisfaction with government was the 1970s — the era of Vietnam, Nixon and Watergate. AP Photo/John Duricka Ian Anson, University of Maryland, Baltimore County White House special counsel Robert Mueller recently issued 12 indictments alleging that Russian intelligence agents sought to tilt the vote […] Read more »
Just Half of Americans Believe Elections Are Fair and Open
Only about half of American adults believe elections are fair and open, and large majorities of Americans express skepticism about big money in politics and favor disclosure of donations. However, as the Senate considers President Trump’s nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, the public offers mixed signals about […] Read more »