A month after President Obama’s decision to defer deportation and offer work authorization to millions of undocumented immigrants, his action not only looks like a winner, but it also seems to be a fairly promising sign for Democrats after the disastrous midterm elections last month. This is not because Mr. […] Read more »
Political dysfunction: The new normal
The November elections brought significant changes to Washington and to many states. What they did not produce was any greater sense of optimism on the part of the public about the state of American politics. If anything, they produced the opposite. CONT. Dan Balz, Washington Post Read more »
Few See Quick Cure for Nation’s Political Divisions
As 2014 draws to a close, the public is deeply pessimistic about the prospects for healing the nation’s deep political divisions. And most Americans think continued partisan gridlock would wreak significant damage on the country. CONT. Pew Read more »
Our Unrealistic Hopes for Presidents
When will we give up on the idea of a leader who will magically bring consensus and unity to our politics? … After the civil rights movement, the parties realigned on the issue of race, setting in motion a return to the historic norm of polarization that prevailed in the […] Read more »
Immigration Action Gets Mixed Response, But Legal Pathway Still Popular
The public is divided over President Obama’s recent executive action that expands the number of undocumented immigrants permitted to stay and work in the U.S. At the same time, Americans continue to broadly support a pathway to legal status for people in this country illegally. CONT. Pew Read more »
Obama Is Unpopular, And That’s Unlikely To Change
The public appears to have made up its mind about President Obama. His job-approval rating in early 2014 averaged 41.5 percent in Gallup surveys. In late 2014 — despite an improving economy — it averaged the same 41.5 percent. Over the past year, his rating has never gone higher than […] Read more »