The 2016 presidential election gave Democrats a painful reminder that the path to the White House runs through the rough terrain of the Electoral College. Despite enjoying a popular vote margin of nearly 3 million, the Democratic ticket won only 20 states with 232 electoral votes, compared to the 30 […] Read more »
The ‘Rotten Equilibrium’ of Republican Politics
One clear lesson from the elections of 2016 and 2018 is that President Trump and his fellow Republican candidates win where white voters are losing ground. Take a look at the 2018 congressional results in the upper Midwest and Pennsylvania, states that provided the Electorate College votes crucial to Trump’s […] Read more »
Many Challenges Inhibit An Independent White House Bid
Rachel Martin talks to political scientist Brendan Nyhan of the University of Michigan about the long odds against independent political candidates. Morning Edition, NPR Read more »
Republican Favorability Down; Views of Democrats Steady
As the longest government shutdown in U.S. history came to an end, Gallup polling suggests that the Republican Party’s image has suffered more than the Democratic Party’s. The GOP’s favorability rating fell to 37% from 45% in September. At the same time, Americans’ favorable views of the Democratic Party remained […] Read more »
Republicans, Democrats both see less reason for optimism in 2019 than they did in 2018
Americans have mixed expectations for the year ahead: 47% say they expect 2019 will be better than 2018, while 43% say it will be worse. Last January, the public had a more optimistic view of the coming year, with 61% saying 2018 would be better than 2017. … As has […] Read more »
The great irony of climate change politics is red states face more pain
Climate change will impose the greatest economic losses on Republican-leaning areas of the country that are almost uniformly resisting new efforts to combat it, according to a sweeping new study released Tuesday. In the study, researchers at the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program found that states, counties and congressional districts […] Read more »