The American political system includes no guarantees that the party with the most votes or the most registrants will win the most elections. The Constitution allows for a number of situations in which the minority party can rule. This, however, can create legitimacy problems in a country that fancies itself […] Read more »
2018 may have the largest gender gap on record
… President Donald Trump has a history of making vulgar remarks about women (such as in the infamous Access Hollywood tape). On Thursday, he poked fun at the #MeToo movement. Comments like these are why it’s not too surprising that the 2016 presidential election featured the largest gender gap on […] Read more »
‘It’s a Terrible Vote’: Red-State Democrats Face an Agonizing Supreme Court Choice
Democratic senators running for re-election in Trump Country face an agonizing choice over President Trump’s coming Supreme Court nominee: Vote to confirm the pick and risk demoralizing Democratic voters ahead of the midterm elections, or stick with the party and possibly sacrifice their own seats — and any chance at […] Read more »
Most Americans oppose key parts of Trump immigration plans
Americans overwhelmingly oppose the Trump administration’s now-rescinded policy of separating immigrant children from their parents, and smaller majorities also disagree with the president’s call to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and to restrict legal immigration by limiting citizens from bringing parents and siblings to this country, according to […] Read more »
Gauging the Level of Over Time Issue Polarization among Partisans
The question of the extent and nature of polarization in the American public has received much attention from political science. Though not always debated on this front, polarization on issue and policy opinion is a nuanced subject and sometimes suffers from limitations from survey data. For example, survey questions on […] Read more »
What Kennedy’s Retirement Means for the Midterms
What are the electoral implications of Justice Anthony Kennedy’s announcement that he will retire from the Supreme Court? With about a third fewer people voting in midterm than in presidential elections, who votes and who stays home this November is especially important. On April 10, this column noted the disparity […] Read more »