Two-thirds of Americans feel they have little or no influence over the actions of the federal government. Forty-five percent say the country’s greatness is ebbing. As many see voter fraud as commonplace. A third aren’t confident that votes in the presidential election will be counted fairly. And a third say […] Read more »
Popular Presidents Factor Little in Non-Incumbent Elections
The Ronald Reagan presidency offers the most recent historical clues as to whether President Barack Obama’s popularity could affect voters’ choices for president in November. Like Obama, Reagan was earning job approval ratings in the low to mid-50s in the second half of his eighth year. And the Republican nominee […] Read more »
Seven Things About the 2016 General Election Campaign So Far
Labor Day is the traditional start of the fall campaigns, but in this anything-but-traditional race it’s worth noting some fascinating developments in the general election contest already. With 70 days left, here are seven key points to understand this election: CONT. Matthew J. Dowd, Wall Street Journal Read more »
Clinton, Trump Supporters Have Starkly Different Views of a Changing Nation
Supporters of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump disagree on a range of policy issues, from terrorism to free trade. Yet they also have more fundamental differences over long-term changes in the country and the next generation’s future prospects. A new national survey finds that Trump supporters overwhelmingly believe that life […] Read more »
Demography Explains Perceptions of Clinton and Trump
… One of my favorite work-related pastimes is sifting through polling data (I know, it’s sad). In my favorite national survey, the NBC/WSJ poll, Clinton led Trump overall by 9 percentage points, 47 to 38 percent, in the two-way ballot test. … It is the demographic splits that are most […] Read more »
Americans’ Satisfaction Recovers in August, Though Still Low
Americans’ satisfaction with the way things are going in the U.S. rebounded this month, as national news coverage shifted away from several race-related controversies that occurred in early July. Twenty-seven percent of Americans are now satisfied with the state of affairs in the U.S., up sharply from 17% in July […] Read more »