Political criticism erodes free trade support

Months of withering political rhetoric in the presidential campaign has eroded American support for free trade but not for immigration. The CNBC All-America Economic Survey, conducted March 21-23, finds that just 27 percent of the public agree that free trade “has helped the U.S.,” compared with 43 percent who say […] Read more »

Great Again

Part of the exceptional Donald Trump campaign is his not-so-exceptional slogan, “Make America Great Again.” Demanding and promising a return to Glory Days is centuries-old American theme, shared by both the political right and political left, based on the conviction that today’s America is less than yesterday’s America. Trump channels […] Read more »

Everybody Loves a Winner. So What Happens if Trump Loses?

… Research shows that expectations of success are strongly associated with which candidates people support in primaries, especially among less informed voters. In this way, Mr. Trump’s initial success may have helped attract more support, creating a positive feedback dynamic that helped fuel his monthslong ascent in the polls. At […] Read more »

Why Trump may be winning the war on ‘political correctness’

… In the 2016 Republican presidential primary season, “political correctness” has become the all-purpose enemy. The candidates have suggested that it is the explanation for seemingly every threat that confronts the country: terrorism, illegal immigration, an economic recovery that is leaving many behind, to name just a few. Others argue […] Read more »