… We measure people against what we perceive to be their baseline behavior. If, as evidenced by his history, we believe that Trump is a bad-faith actor with no moral compass (a belief that even some Republicans have expressed), malfeasance is to be expected. We react little to behaviors that […] Read more »
Fractured Nation: From Impeachment to Issue Priorities, Democrats and Republicans Inhabiting Increasingly Different Worlds
Amidst the backdrop of an impeachment inquiry and the Democratic Presidential primary race, a landmark survey of 2,527 Americans released today by PRRI finds Democrats and Republicans increasingly divided on issues including immigration, health care, and impeachment heading into the 2020 election cycle. PRRI’s 10th annual 2019 American Values Survey […] Read more »
Partisan Antipathy: More Intense, More Personal
Three years ago, Pew Research Center found that the 2016 presidential campaign was “unfolding against a backdrop of intense partisan division and animosity.” Today, the level of division and animosity – including negative sentiments among partisans toward the members of the opposing party – has only deepened. … The survey […] Read more »
Majority of Americans say they endorse opening of House impeachment inquiry of Trump
A majority of Americans say they endorse the decision by House Democrats to begin an impeachment inquiry of President Trump, and nearly half of all adults also say the House should take the additional step of recommending that the president be removed from office, according to a Washington Post-Schar School […] Read more »
Why Americans Don’t Fully Trust Many Who Hold Positions of Power and Responsibility
People invest their trust in institutions and those who have power for a variety of reasons. Researchers have found that people’s confidence in others and organizations can include their judgments about the competence, honesty and benevolence of the organizations or individuals they are assessing, as well as factors such as […] Read more »
In Politics, Apologies Are for Losers
Suppose that a public figure has said or done something that many people consider offensive, outrageous or despicable — for example, lied about his military service or insulted people’s religious convictions. Should he apologize? Let’s assume that his goal is not to be a good person, but only to improve […] Read more »