Partisan Rancor at Fever Pitch in Washington, D.C.

Most Americans believe civility has deteriorated in Washington, D.C., since President Donald Trump was elected. Seven in ten residents, 70%, think the tone between Republicans and Democrats has gotten worse. … With the exception of the Intelligence Community such as the CIA and the FBI, 60%, and the courts, 60%, […] Read more »

Americans Say Civility Has Worsened Under Trump; Trust In Institutions Down

As Americans prepare to celebrate the country’s 241st birthday, they believe the overall tone and level of civility between Democrats and Republicans in the nation’s capital has gotten worse since the election of President Trump last year, a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll finds. The same survey also shows distrust of […] Read more »

Confidence in Institutions Edges Up

Americans’ confidence in the nation’s major institutions has edged up in 2017, after registering historical lows over the past three years. … The overall uptick in confidence this year is primarily the result of increased confidence among Republicans, paralleling the increased GOP optimism noted in economic confidence and satisfaction with […] Read more »

Democratic Norms Are Under Attack, and Not Just by Trump

Shortly after last year’s election, Andrew Reynolds made a startling assertion. The University of North Carolina political scientist, who had helped devise a formula for measuring the vitality of democracies, wrote a newspaper column claiming his state’s restrictions on voting and its unwillingness to follow established rules “means our state […] Read more »

Americans have lost faith in institutions. That’s not because of Trump or ‘fake news.’

The easiest sell of President Trump’s life is that a “corrupt” media produces “fake news.” After all, fewer than 2 in 10 Americans have “a lot” of trust in news organizations, the Pew Research Center has found, and we live in a “Matrix”-infused “conspiracy culture,” according to social scientists, where […] Read more »