Most Americans say filing taxes easy

Struggling to figure out your federal tax return? You’re not alone, but you’re in the minority. … The National Taxpayer Advocate says filers spend a total of 6.1 billion hours a year preparing tax returns, at a cost of $168 billion. According to the IRS, 90 percent of filers either […] Read more »

The two key factors behind our polarized politics

The political parties in Congress are deeply polarized. Voters are also. Evaluation of presidential job performance is increasingly driven by party identification. The percentage of voters choosing to identify with a party is increasing, and those who identify with a party are consistently voting for the candidates of their party. […] Read more »

Americans’ Satisfaction With Economy Sours Most Since 2001

Americans are now more satisfied with many issues than they were 13 years ago, but they are significantly less satisfied with the economy and the role the U.S. plays in world affairs. The 40-percentage-point drop in Americans’ satisfaction with the economy, along with a 21-point drop in the world affairs […] Read more »

Polling for a new federalism

Several items in the news lately demonstrate that our nation’s current strain of federalism is straining. State-legal marijuana vendors in Colorado and Washington cannot use banks because of federal rules. The federal and some state governments are vexed over handling tax and other legal matters for same-sex couples married in […] Read more »