Immediately after back-to-back mass shootings in early August in El Paso and Dayton, Ohio, the stalemate on tightening gun laws appeared ready to shift. … But that momentum is already gone. Trump has disavowed his support for tightening background checks; only a handful of Republicans are still working on the […] Read more »
Red, Green, and Blue: The Partisan Divide on Environmental Issues
This Element explores the growing party divisions on the environment in the United States. It draws upon quantitative and qualitative data from several decades of national and state politics. The study contributes theory to the party position change literature, showing that interest groups change parties, but in turn are changed […] Read more »
Most oppose Trump declaring national emergency for wall funding
Sixty-six percent of Americans overall say President Trump should not declare a national emergency if Congress does not fund a border wall, although most Republicans (73 percent) think he should. … Few Americans believe North Korea has reduced its nuclear program since the last Trump-Kim summit, and most don’t think […] Read more »
Voters from Both Parties Endorse New ‘Citizen Cabinet’ Method for Consulting Constituents
Looking toward 2020, a major new study finds voters are seeking candidates who they believe will be more responsive to the people. Their dissatisfaction with elected officials in Washington, DC, is fueled by the pervasive perception that they give a higher priority to special interests, partisan interests, and wealthy campaign […] Read more »
The Lobbyists Blocking Nancy Pelosi and Her New Majority
Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the idealistic class of 64 Democratic House freshmen are armed with a reform agenda. This includes H.R. 1, a 571-page bill that addresses voting rights, corruption, gerrymandering and campaign finance reform as well as the creation of a Select Committee on the Climate Crisis — a […] Read more »
Trump and the Koch Brothers Are Working in Concert
President Trump and the Koch brothers have made it clear that they don’t like each other. Politically speaking, they are in fundamental disagreement over trade, tariffs and immigration. Nonetheless, there is a functional Trump-Koch alliance, and the Republican Party has capitalized handsomely on it. Trump’s racially freighted, anti-immigrant rhetoric has […] Read more »