It is fairly old news that a growing number of Americans refuse to identify with one of our two major political parties. … Even among the two-thirds who do side with one of the two dominant parties, few are happy about it. … Part of the reason for this discontent is […] Read more »
Democrats Aim for a 2014 More Like 2012 and 2008
The Democrats’ plan to hold on to their narrow Senate majority goes by the name “Bannock Street project.” It runs through 10 states, includes a $60 million investment and requires more than 4,000 paid staff members. And the effort will need all of that — and perhaps more — to […] Read more »
Understanding and Curing Myopic Voting: Why Voters Focus on the Election-Year Economy
In the US, we—the voters—elect our presidents using a potentially problematic decision rule: we largely decide who will be president based on the election-year economy…. If the economy is on an upswing before the election, we usually retain the president or his party’s nominee. If it isn’t, we usually elect […] Read more »
American elections need help. Here’s how to make them better.
Earlier Wednesday, the Presidential Commission on Election Administration released its Report and Recommendations to improve the voting experience in the United States. Unlike many others that have entered this fray, this commission was unanimous and bipartisan in its recommendations. Of particular interest to readers of this blog: the commission relied […] Read more »
What voter turnout means for efforts to remedy income inequality
The gap between rhetoric about income inequality and action to deal with it is sizable. There are many reasons for that, but one possible explanation, according to a provocative new book, is the contrasting views of Americans who vote and those who do not. The book is titled “Who Votes […] Read more »
As 2014 brings new state laws, a look at public opinion on the issues
Every new year means adding thousands of new state laws to the books. This year’s wide range includes everything from tanning bed age limits (Illinois), to a new ban on selling shark fins (Delaware). While most new laws represent incremental change, sometimes state laws can also signal broader movement on […] Read more »