The US midterm elections were historic in part because of the success of reforms to state redistricting processes. Citizens in Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, and Utah passed initiatives that take control of redistricting US House districts out of the hands of state legislatures. Reformers went undefeated, and this is a major […] Read more »
Ten Years Later, the Democrats Are Still the Party of Obama
In the wake of a “wave” election, it’s always more fashionable to emphasize change over continuity. Despite plenty of talk these days about electoral realignments, resurgent socialism, and the political coming-of-age of a potentially transformational millennial generation, however, neither of the two parties looks all that much different now than […] Read more »
When Trump stretches democratic norms, do voters care?
… As a candidate and president, Trump has tested — and in some instances broken — established norms of democratic politics. He has expressed admiration for autocrats and reacted with indifference to violations of democratic principles abroad. Yet his approval ratings among Americans, while low when compared to other presidents, […] Read more »
The Psychology of Political Polarization
Many stories can be told about the 2018 midterm elections, but their mixed results make one thing clear: We are a country divided. Pundits have attributed our historically high levels of polarization to a variety of sources, including the isolating effects of social media, the corrupting influence of dark money […] Read more »
What the ‘Trump tax’ cost Republicans
… The Trump tax is conceptually the difference between where President Trump’s approval ratings are and where a more typical Republican president’s would be given national conditions. A Vox analysis in 2016 suggested that Trump was running several points behind a generic Republican presidential nominee in that election. As John […] Read more »
2018 Election Recap: It Ain’t Over Yet!
… Whether they land on the pro or con side, Americans are thinking, talking, and doing politics much more since Donald Trump was elected president of the United States. Trump’s ubiquity is, in general, a massive liability for his party—given the state of the economy, the Republican House majority would […] Read more »