… Far from the power centers of Washington, the early 2020 primary states or the money-rich coastal cities that fund many national campaigns, a shift in the political winds is growing stronger. The Republican Party and its candidates, particularly in state and local campaigns, are increasingly being reshaped in President […] Read more »
Yes, Virginia, This is Chaos
Saying that anything in the annals of American political history is “unique” or “unprecedented” is dangerous, for the simple fact that the past is filled with so many oddities from which we can draw parallels. That said, we’re struggling to come up with something equivalent to what we’ve seen in […] Read more »
California Poll: Access to Mental Health Care, Insurance Coverage, Affordability Among Top Health Care Priorities
Californians rank making health care more affordable among their top overall priorities for the state’s new governor and legislature, with 45 percent citing it as “extremely important,” just behind improving public education (48%) and ahead of affordable housing (40%), finds a new KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation)/California Health Care Foundation poll […] Read more »
All or Nothing: How State Politics Became a Winner-Take-All World
… All over the country, chambers that once were up for grabs are now firmly controlled by one party holding what resembles an open-ended lease. … In American state politics these days, power results not from a contest of ideas, but rather from demographic identities. The country is divided along […] Read more »
Voters Rejected Gerrymandering In 2018, But Some Lawmakers Try To Hold Power
The issue of gerrymandering — the ability of politicians to draw legislative districts to benefit their own party — burst into view as a major political issue in 2018. Even as voters and courts vigorously rejected the practice this year, politicians in some states are doing their best to remain […] Read more »
Behind G.O.P. Power Play in Midwest: Fear of Losing a Gerrymandered Advantage
… The ongoing legislative maneuvers in Michigan and Wisconsin are part of a broader war for power in the Midwest, a politically prized region for both parties — but especially for Republicans, who are trying to dilute Democratic control ahead of bigger battles. The G.O.P., which lost the House in […] Read more »