Seven years ago, in the gauzy afterglow of a stirring election night in Chicago, commentators dared ask whether the United States had finally begun to heal its divisions over race and atone for the original sin of slavery by electing its first black president. It has not. Not even close. […] Read more »
A Growing Divide on Race
Views about race relations and discrimination differ vastly between black and white Americans, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll. CONT. New York Times Read more »
Discomfort with Social Directions Marks a Charged Political Landscape
Americans by a wide margin express discomfort with the country’s direction on social issues, a potentially potent force in political preferences. Just 34 percent in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll say they’re comfortable with the country’s social direction, while 63 percent are uncomfortable. Indeed more than four in 10 […] Read more »
Where is the party of Lincoln?
How did the party of Lincoln become the party of the Confederate flag? It happened in stages. Almost every state that voted Republican in 1896 voted Democratic in 2000, while almost every state that cast its ballot for the Democratic candidate in 2000 had voted Republican in 1896. There were states […] Read more »
Criminal Justice Reform: The Sleeper Issue of 2016?
As the 2016 campaign begins to take shape, prisons and criminal justice reform are emerging as a surprise issue. Last week President Barack Obama visited a federal prison in Oklahoma to discuss reform and Republican presidential hopefuls Rand Paul and Chris Christie have been touting the need for change. How […] Read more »
Racism Edges Up Again as Most Important U.S. Problem
The percentage of Americans naming race relations or racism as the most important problem facing the country increased to 9% this month, up from 3% in June. Mentions of race relations as a top problem have risen and fallen multiple times over the past seven months as racially charged events […] Read more »