According to a new study, Americans’ perceptions of the opposing political party tend to skew far from the truth. … Perry Bacon, senior writer for FiveThirtyEight, wrote about the study for his column “Secret Identity.” He says that there was a time when we assumed some diversity within the parties, […] Read more »
Five things I learned about envy in politics
Why do some people seem to vote against their economic interests? Why do politicians enact policies that seem contrary to the interests of the people who vote for them? Why do people engage in protest when they could reap the benefits of others’ protest without having to get involved? These […] Read more »
Politics & Polls podcast: The Trump Presidency
In this special 100th episode of Politics & Polls, Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang reflect on aspects of Donald Trump’s presidency that have surprised them both individually. Zelizer is surprised by public tolerance of Trump’s most controversial actions, especially his immigration policies and behavior during the Helsinki summit with Vladimir […] Read more »
No, Democrats Aren’t Ruining Their Midterm Chances
Will Democratic gains in the November midterm elections be squandered by an inopportune bout of party infighting? … Political commentators often suggest that national parties maximize their electoral effectiveness when they push a single policy program or message. But the Democratic Party is organized as a coalition of social groups […] Read more »
When Politicians Determine Your Religious Beliefs
At first glance, President Trump’s nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court would seem a perfect reminder of why so many religious white Americans vote Republican: to promote conservative moral values. Religious values. Their values. The values that — the story goes — devout white Christians and Catholics […] Read more »
Three Ways of Governing as a Minority Party
The American political system includes no guarantees that the party with the most votes or the most registrants will win the most elections. The Constitution allows for a number of situations in which the minority party can rule. This, however, can create legitimacy problems in a country that fancies itself […] Read more »