As Democratic presidential candidates descended on the Iowa State Fair, a plane buzzed overhead, an ominous warning fluttering behind it on a banner: “Focus on Rural America.” Democrats hoping to win the White House in 2020 recognize how critical that advice is after 2016, when Hillary Clinton turned in strong […] Read more »
Poll Hub: Geography Matters
In an increasingly politically polarized society, many people point a finger at gerrymandering as the cause. However, there may be an alternate answer. On this week’s episode of Poll Hub, Jonathan Rodden, Professor of Political Science and Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, discusses his new book, […] Read more »
On Guns, Public Opinion and Public Policy Often Diverge
Polls show that public support for tighter guns laws is rising. Alone, that doesn’t mean Congress is going to expand gun control anytime soon. Public opinion and public policy on guns have seemed to be at odds for decades. Measures like universal background checks often attract the support of more […] Read more »
Trump, the Economy & Wisconsin
Assorted details of the Badger State ahead of 2020 Trump approval by economic outlook by region in Wisconsin. Pooling 2018–19 data. Positive economic outlook helps approval a lot, though some 18% who expect economy to improve still disapprove. For those expecting stable economy, net negative approval, and very negative among […] Read more »
Democratic group’s poll shows Trump vulnerable with his base on health care
The Democratic research group American Bridge is preparing a $50 million campaign to win over a slice of President Donald Trump’s base, and new polling has convinced the organization that Trump is vulnerable on pocketbook issues, especially health care, among white working-class voters. The battleground-state polling is a new step […] 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 »