The Republican Party’s inability to ignite a grassroots backlash against the $1.9 trillion Democratic Covid relief bill moving toward final passage underscores the GOP’s transformation into a coalition energized primarily by cultural and racial grievance — and the opportunity that opens for President Joe Biden to advance his economic priorities. […] Read more »
How Republicans misunderstand the 2020 turnout story
Numerous Republican state legislatures are trying to pass new voter restriction legislation (e.g. limiting absentee and early voting). Meanwhile, Democrats in Congress are trying to pass laws that expand access to the ballot box. The moves from both camps come after an election with record turnout in which there were […] Read more »
The Future of Health Policy in a Partisan United States: Insights From Public Opinion Polls
… Over time, the voting patterns of elected officials have tipped more closely to the views of people who identify with their own political party than those of the public as a whole, emphasizing the importance of analyzing policy preferences by party. … What is not often recognized is how […] Read more »
Volatility Is the New Normal
Many of us are wondering if this last year — one of the most tumultuous and consequential in American history — and the last four years of constant political turmoil were ‘outliers’ or if they represent the new normal. A challenge for those of us who have covered politics for […] Read more »
Virginia and New Jersey Governors 2021: A First Look
Key Points• Virginia Democrats are trying to win three consecutive gubernatorial races, a feat the party has not accomplished since the 1980s.• Former Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D-VA) is the favorite for his state’s Democratic nomination, though he faces a diverse field.• In a move that’s ruffled some feathers on their […] Read more »
McLaughlin Poll Shows Democratic Party Neither Healing Nor Unifying Country
In our just completed national survey of 1,000 likely voters, the polarization of the American electorate has not ended with the elections of 2020. Instead, in spite of all the promises and rhetoric political division and disunity continues into 2021. Ironically, President Trump has left a recovering economy and historic […] Read more »