Most Americans support increasing the minimum wage, as well as requiring employers to provide paid sick leave and parental leave, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll. All three were proposed by President Barack Obama during his recent State of the Union address as ways to increase protections for American […] Read more »
How Americans are feeling about the fight against ISIS, economy
As President Obama seeks new congressional authorization for using military force against ISIS, Americans’ views on how things are going for the U.S. in its conflict with the militant group are negative and getting worse. Sixty-seven percent of Americans think things are going at least somewhat badly for the U.S. […] Read more »
Are Americans ready for Obama’s ‘middle class’ populism?
President Barack Obama enters his coming budget battle with the Republican-led Congress in a climate of American public opinion that is surprisingly positive. … The president’s policies addressing income inequality generally meet with strong conceptual approval: The public heartily endorses efforts to improve the lot of poor people. At the […] Read more »
Why Republicans Are Suddenly Talking About Economic Inequality
For decades, Democrats have been the party that emphasizes concerns about inequality. So why are many top Republicans — including a number of the party’s presidential hopefuls — talking about the issue? Though Republicans’ shift in emphasis has drawn some derisive commentary, it’s worth examining why one party might choose […] Read more »
The Republican Discovery of the Poor
… The Republican appropriation of leftist populist rhetoric (and even policies) poses a significant threat to liberal prospects in 2016. They plan to bring the fight to the Democrats on their own turf. … Democrats counter this emerging Republican populism with the argument that Republicans have failed to follow up […] Read more »
The diagnosis is right, but where’s the cure?
On this Americans agree with President Obama: The economy is getting better — for the rich. A USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll finds broad skepticism that the proposals the president outlined in his State of the Union Address last week will go anywhere in a Republican-controlled Congress, though. And that’s distressing […] Read more »