With his threat to shut down the federal government unless he receives funding for his border wall, President Donald Trump is employing a tactic that is unpopular to advance a goal that may be even more unpopular. Trump’s threats — and the muted public resistance to them from GOP congressional […] Read more »
The Demise of ‘The Weekly Standard’ Is a Blow to the Republican Party
The Weekly Standard announced last week that, after a 23-year run, it would cease publication. The closure of the prominent conservative news outlet isn’t just a tragedy for the field of journalism—it’s a scary sign for the future of the Republican Party. Specifically, its demise signals, in many ways, the […] Read more »
It’s the populism, stupid.
Young or old? Female or male? White, black or Latino? The first stage of the 2020 presidential campaign — the jockeying stage — is underway, and Democrats are trying to figure out who the ideal candidate is. They’re asking the wrong questions, though. Demographic identity matters much less than people […] Read more »
Is There Such a Thing as an Authoritarian Voter?
A recession might be just around the corner, but for experts in the field of “authoritarian studies,” these are boom times. Jonathan Weiler, a political scientist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has spent much of his career studying the appeal of authoritarian figures: politicians who preach […] Read more »
Liberals and conservatives see sexual harassment claims very differently. This explains why.
Over this past year, the #MeToo movement has put sexual harassment claims front and center in the news. … We wanted to know whether conservatives and liberals reacted differently when sexual misconduct allegations were made about one of “their own.” Drawing on previous research, we hypothesized that conservatives would express […] Read more »
Bernie Sanders supporters should worry about Beto O’Rourke
The Beto O’Rourke 2020 train seems to be gaining steam. Those backing other potential candidates want donors and pundits to slow their Beto roll, however. Among the most prominent critics are supporters of Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders who believes the Texan isn’t progressive enough. Sanders fans have at least […] Read more »