The power of the State of the Union

… SOTUs have no consistent impact on the core indicator of a president’s political health: his job-approval rating. Examining those approval ratings just before and just after SOTU addresses reveals that the average change is zero. In fact, it is more common for approval ratings to decline than to improve […] Read more »

Seeking consensus on immigration, guns

… On issues like gun control and immigration, intensity matters more than numbers. Politicians don’t just look at polls. They pay attention to how many votes the issue drives on each side. If the minority votes the issue and the majority doesn’t, the minority prevails. [cont.] Bill Schneider, George Mason […] Read more »