… The great challenges facing US democracy did not commence with the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Intensifying political polarization, declining economic mobility, the outsized influence of special interests, and the diminished influence of fact-based reporting in favor of bellicose partisan media were all problems afflicting the health of American […] Read more »
Declining confidence in election results may be depressing voter turnout
Perhaps the most disturbing new trend in US electoral politics has been the increase in high-profile candidates and officials claiming that our elections are rife with fraud. This concern may seem misplaced given the disturbing allegations of absentee ballot fraud this fall in North Carolina and what the Justice Department’s […] Read more »
Voting Issues and Gerrymanders Are Now Key Political Battlegrounds
Voting rights and partisan gerrymandering, traditionally the preoccupation of wonky party strategists and good-government groups, have become major flash points in the debate about the integrity of American elections, signaling high stakes battles over voter suppression and politically engineered districts ahead of the 2020 presidential race. When Democrats take the […] Read more »
A Survey Finds That All Americans Favor Democratic Norms Over Politics—Except in the Case of Voting
The Bright Line Watch team is at it again, exploring the resilience of democratic norms in America, as the Trump Presidency, entering its third year, seems ever more cavalier about them. … This time around, the team has issued a report on a new survey called “Party, Policy, Democracy and […] Read more »
Voter Confidence in the 2018 Election: So Long to the Winner’s Effect?
For the past two decades, Americans have consistently exhibited a “winner’s effect” in judging whether votes were counted fairly in elections. The 2018 election broke that pattern. In particular, prior to 2018, it was common for voters who identified with the prevailing party in a federal election to acquire much […] Read more »
Most Voters Have Positive Views of Their Midterm Voting Experiences
Voters approached the 2018 midterm elections with some trepidation about the voting process and many had concerns that U.S. election systems may be hacked. After the election, however, most say it was “very easy” to vote and confidence in election security has increased. CONT. Pew Read more »