Liberals and conservatives agree, the federal government did something right in its handling of the Boston Marathon bombing. A new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds 67 percent of Americans approve of how the investigation was handled, including more than six in 10 of both liberals and conservatives, and majorities across […] Read more »
Broad Public Approval for Feds on Boston Bombing Investigation
Two-thirds of Americans approve of the federal government’s handling of its investigation into the Boston Marathon bombing and nearly six in 10 hold a favorable view more generally of the government’s efforts to try to prevent terrorist attacks in the United States. Those results in the latest ABC News/Washington Post […] Read more »
An election Democrats can win
Obamacare versus Ryanomics. That’s the battle line for 2014. It’s also a battle Democrats can win. Why? Because most Americans are pragmatists. Pragmatists believe that whatever works is right. Ideologues believe that if something is wrong, it can’t possibly work — even if it does work. That’s the Republican view […] Read more »
Illinois Residents Least Trusting of Their State Government
Illinois residents trust their state government to handle their state’s problems far less than residents in any other state. Twenty-eight percent of Illinois residents trust their state government “a great deal” or “a fair amount.” In contrast, at least 75% of North Dakota, Wyoming, and Utah residents trust their state […] Read more »
Policymakers are ignoring us, but no more than usual
… My new book, Artists of the Possible, will offer little solace to those concerned with the public’s absence from public policy. I find a policy process driven by experienced insiders and behind-the-scenes deal making with little room for public input. Policy history, however, does challenge the claim that the […] Read more »
How policymakers ignore the public’s priorities
… Political scientists have long seen events, public opinion and media coverage as critical factors in setting the agenda for policymakers. These factors do not make policy change inevitable, but they allegedly guide policymakers to address particular problems or issues. In my new book, “Artists of the Possible: Governing Networks […] Read more »