Key Points• Negative partisanship — the tendency for partisans to be animated by dislike for the other side — has become a powerful force in American politics.• This dynamic makes it harder for partisans to cross over to the other side and keeps general elections quite competitive.• Attacks on Donald […] Read more »
Even Trump’s indictments haven’t shattered the deadlock between the parties. Here’s why
Former President Donald Trump’s mounting legal jeopardy is raising a stark political question: can anything break the sustained electoral stalemate that has left the country divided almost exactly in half between the Republican and Democratic coalitions? Trump is facing a swarm of criminal accusations unprecedented for an active presidential candidate, […] Read more »
Biden’s dragging poll numbers won’t matter in 2024 if enough voters loathe his opponent even more
Joe Biden doesn’t need to be popular to win the 2024 election – he just needs his opponent to be more unpopular. Drew Angerer/Getty Images Charles R. Hunt, Boise State University Commentators were quick to note President Joe Biden’s low job approval and favorability ratings after he announced his long-expected […] Read more »
Don’t Panic About Biden’s Approval Ratings
In the wake of President Biden’s announcement that he will seek re-election, there have been many stories assessing his chances of winning. Most if not all of these stories point to Biden’s low approval ratings as a danger sign, as they are well below the ratings of presidents in previous […] Read more »
To understand American politics, you need to move beyond left and right
There’s a more sophisticated way to understand how Americans divide themselves politically. Torsten Asmus/ iStock / Getty Images Plus Graham Wright, Brandeis University and Sasha Volodarsky, Northeastern University Are Americans really as politically polarized as they seem – and everybody says? It’s definitely true that Democrats and Republicans increasingly hate […] Read more »
Neighbors Ohio and Michigan are moving further apart in politics – differences in ballot access may explain why
Voters cast their ballots at a polling station in Detroit during the 2022 midterm elections. Matthew Hatcher/LightRocket via Getty Images David Jackson, Bowling Green State University and Dominic D. Wells, Bowling Green State University It may seem that the midterm elections are firmly behind us. Pollsters are already measuring likely […] Read more »