Brace for a Voter-Turnout Tsunami

Signs are growing that voter turnout in 2020 could reach the highest levels in decades—if not the highest in the past century—with a surge of new voters potentially producing the most diverse electorate in American history. But paradoxically, that surge may not dislodge the central role of the predominantly white […] Read more »

The 2020 Race: Still tilting Democratic

There has been plenty of attention recently on economic models that show President Donald Trump holding a huge advantage in the 2020 presidential contest. But it’s not that simple. … No matter how many economists, political scientists or investment bankers are involved, predictive models based solely on economic data miss […] Read more »

How the Ongoing Trade Fights Complicate the Political Map in 2020

As the nation’s trade fights linger on — and the 2020 presidential campaign moves onto the runway — there are three sets of counties to keep an eye on in the American Communities Project: the ag-based Aging Farmlands, small-town Rural Middle America, and the blue-collar Middle Suburbs. The tariffs and […] Read more »

How Americans’ Economic Views Define — and Defy — Party Lines

Americans hold varying beliefs about the causes of inequality and the role of wealthy people in society. These stories largely break down along partisan lines. Democrats generally emphasize an unfair economy and the negative effects of wealth. Republicans commonly attribute economic fortunes to hard work and talent, and see wealthy […] Read more »

Trump Is More Vulnerable to Democratic Attacks on Trade Than You Might Think

To President Trump, tariff “is a beautiful word indeed.” Just in the last few weeks, he increased tariffs on billions of Chinese imports and threatened Mexico with big new tariffs. His enthusiasm as trade-warrior-in-chief, though, has not been mirrored by the public. At least that is the conclusion to draw […] Read more »