… At one level, the likelihood that the Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade would seem to be an ideal vehicle to invigorate the left. Such a decision, in political terms, would amount to the imposition of a major change in social policy, by a bare 5-to-4 majority of […] Read more »
“Green Lanternism” holding down Biden’s approval ratings
Only 38 percent of Americans approve of the job Joe Biden is doing as President, and the latest survey results from the FDU Poll show that this is largely due to the belief that Presidents have a lot of influence over things that they actually have very little control over. […] Read more »
Instead of boosting democracy, primary elections are undermining it
… Understanding why the GOP is catering to extreme voters, even in places where trying to appeal to moderates seems more politically expedient, requires scrutiny of U.S. political history. The Founding Fathers feared political parties and demagogues, and designed institutions that would thwart them. But changes to the constitutional system, […] Read more »
Trump Poses a Test Democracy Is Failing
Ordinary citizens play a critical role in maintaining democracy. They refuse to re-elect — at least in theory — politicians who abuse their power, break the rules and reject the outcome of elections they lose. How is it, then, that Donald Trump, who has defied these basic presumptions, stands a […] Read more »
Fox News isn’t news
The problem with Fox “News,” the cable TV channel, isn’t just what it is — it’s also what it isn’t. It is often a purveyor of propaganda and misinformation. What it’s not is a source of “news” — at least not by any normal definition. That’s one of the conclusions […] Read more »
Why aren’t Americans rallying around Biden during a war?
The Biden administration has earned broad praise for its response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — at least before the president’s unscripted remark that Russian President Vladimir Putin should not remain in power. Conventional wisdom has long held that U.S. public opinion rallies around the flag and the president in […] Read more »