The 114th Congress has finally ended. The most polarized Congress since the early 20th Century and one where almost all issues have been drawn into the first dimension [we will address dimensionality in a future post; the current period is unique in American history]. CONT. Voteview Read more »
A modest proposal for better polls: Gallup and Fox News working together
… What if Fox were to collaborate with some politically neutral organization — say, Gallup — and do a joint poll, where they agree ahead of time on the questions and then they just start off the phone call with, “We’re calling from the Gallup Poll . . .” or “We’re calling […] Read more »
Is Donald Trump a Threat to Democracy?
Donald J. Trump’s election has raised a question that few Americans ever imagined asking: Is our democracy in danger? With the possible exception of the Civil War, American democracy has never collapsed; indeed, no democracy as rich or as established as America’s ever has. Yet past stability is no guarantee […] Read more »
Democrats’ policies are more popular. But Republicans are more ideologically unified.
… Although both Democrats and Republicans are more ideologically consistent and committed than they were 40 years ago, Republicans are far more so than Democrats. The overwhelming majority are conservative not only in name but all the way down. This means identifying with one’s party’s political outlook, knowing how the […] Read more »
Donald Trump’s Alt-Reality
… Trump proved throughout his campaign and in the month since he won that he would not only lie repeatedly, but that he could get away with it. As Glenn Kessler, who writes the Fact Checker column for The Washington Post, pointed out on Nov. 4: Donald Trump has amassed […] Read more »
Stop blaming ‘populism’ for everything
The word “populism” is being used to explain almost every trend or event of 2016, including Brexit, the election of Donald Trump as America’s next President, and shifts in French, German, Italian, Dutch, and Austrian politics. … Reducing everything to “populism” is ignoring the real issues that motivate people. To […] Read more »