Why did Republicans become so opposed to immigration? Hint: It’s not because there’s more nativism.

… The Republican Party has long been the party of both business and nativists. For most of its history, the party’s business wing has reined in the nativists. But aside from a few individual industries, businesses overall are less interested in open immigration — freeing Republican members of Congress to […] Read more »

Democrats are in the catbird’s seat in the 2018 midterms

Congressional Democrats, benefiting from President Donald Trump’s low approval ratings and historic trends working against the party in power, sit in the catbird seat in the battle for control, according to new House and Senate ratings from CNN. The House, in which Democrats need a 24-seat pickup to win the […] Read more »

Immigration backlash is coming from places least touched by immigration

The escalating struggle between the parties over immigration rests on a paradox. In the battle for control of both Congress and the White House, Republicans rely overwhelmingly on the places in the US that remain the least touched by immigration. Democrats depend primarily on the places with the most immigrants. […] Read more »

FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast: Which Version Of Trump’s Presidency Is Happening?

On the eve of President Trump’s first official State of the Union address, the FiveThirtyEight Politics podcast checks in on how his administration is doing, and which of the 14 versions of Trump’s presidency that Nate outlined about a year ago look like they could still happen. The team also […] Read more »