Business, community, and government leaders are growing increasingly alarmed that the populist and ideologically conservative House Republicans may endanger Congress’ ability to approve an increase in the federal debt ceiling, a move crucial to avoiding the nation’s first-ever default and a calamity in the financial markets. The federal public debt […] Read more »
How Republicans view their party and key issues facing the country as the 118th Congress begins
Republicans now hold a narrow majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, the first time they have controlled the chamber in four years. The GOP’s first weeks in power have been marked by drama – most notably by Kevin McCarthy’s protracted, 15-ballot victory to become House speaker. As the new […] Read more »
In elections, a win is a win. And Republicans won
… Republicans won the House, after just four years, but with a thin margin. Voters, especially independents, were motivated by economic issues, their unhappiness with the direction of the country and President Joe Biden’s leadership, and they wanted solutions. But a poor Republican economic campaign message, focused on attacking Pelosi […] Read more »
What’s going to happen in Washington over the next 2 years? Americans don’t expect much.
Call them realistic: Americans are braced for little compromise and less action in Washington over the next two years of divided government. The messy fight by Republicans to elect a new House speaker left the public convinced by 61%-17% that the GOP and President Joe Biden are less likely to […] Read more »
Party Preferences Evenly Split in 2022 After Shift to GOP
Americans’ party preferences were evenly divided in 2022, with 45% of U.S. adults identifying as Republican or saying they were Republican-leaning independents, and 44% identifying as Democrats or saying they were Democratic-leaning independents. The last time preferences were this closely divided was in 2011, with Democrats holding at least a […] Read more »
Democrats’ Identification as Liberal Now 54%, a New High
After hovering near 50% in recent years, the percentage of Democrats who identify as politically liberal rose four percentage points in 2022 to 54%, a new high for this group. At the same time, the 10% describing themselves as conservative is the lowest to date. … Republicans’ ideology did not […] Read more »