While politics in Washington remain gridlocked, the conservative revolution has been thriving outside the Capitol beltway. Republicans in states across the Midwest and the South are determined to eviscerate liberal policies and to entrench the political power of the right. … Not only are Republicans today in charge of more […] Read more »
Why We’re Not Holding State Legislators Accountable
… In his recent award-winning dissertation at Princeton, political scientist Steve Rogers examined voting patterns in state legislative elections. It turns out, for one thing, that people’s knowledge of their state legislature is rather paltry. … But beyond that, people aren’t really distinguishing between state legislators and other officeholders when […] Read more »
Chuck Schumer Is Wrong About the Top-Two Primary
In an op-ed in Tuesday’s New York Times, Sen. Charles E. Schumer of New York called for an end to partisan primaries and the implementation of a top-two system nationwide, asserting that such a change would lessen the historic level of polarization between Democrats and Republicans. … Here’s the problem […] Read more »
Voters give California lawmakers higher marks despite scandals
California voters gave the state Legislature its highest marks in years despite a recent spate of political scandals that could put three Democratic lawmakers behind bars, according to a new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll. CONT. Phil Willon, Los Angeles Times Read more »
How North Carolina Republicans may be helping Kay Hagan
Will Republicans take the Senate? The answer will hinge in part on the race between Sen. Kay Hagan and State House Speaker Thom Tillis in North Carolina. … Paradoxically, the policy successes of North Carolina Republicans could be a blessing in disguise for Kay Hagan. Because the GOP controls North […] Read more »
GOP enjoys advantage in fight for House control
Even if Democrats recruit great candidates, raise gobs of money and run smart campaigns, they face an uphill fight to retake control of the House in this year’s congressional elections, regardless of the political climate in November. The reason? Republican strategists spent years developing a plan to take advantage of […] Read more »