Rethinking member ambition and the reelection goal
Image source: Lee Drutman/Vox By Marian Currinder That members of Congress are ambitious is a political science axiom. Getting elected (and reelected) to Congress requires ambition, as does the earnest… Read More
Does gerrymandering cause gridlock in Congress?
Image Source: US Census By Marian Currinder Last week, David Wasserman and his Gerrymandering Project colleagues released The Atlas of Redistricting, a massive undertaking that involved drawing… Read More
Whether and how intraparty organizations matter
Source: Gannett By Jordan M. Ragusa Congress seems hopelessly divided between two warring parties. From a spending impasse that caused a government shutdown to a tax reform bill that didn’t… Read More
Whither the class of 2018?
Source: Wikipedia Breaking Wave By Richard M. Skinner Few patterns are more reliable in American politics than the president’s party losing seats in the House of Representatives at the… Read More
No, congressional Republicans are not carrying Trump’s water
Source: Washington Examiner . By Matt Glassman Last week, two retiring Republican Senators ramped up their criticism of President Trump. On Tuesday, Senator Bob Corker said Trump had “great… Read More
Parties and the Challenges of Partisan Governance
Thomas Nast, “Third Term Trap,” 1874. Source: Harpweek.com. James Wallner writes at the Examiner: “It’s almost July and the Republican Party has yet to repeal Obamacare due to divisions… Read More
Zach Wamp, Former Congressman, on the Fundraising Problem
Source: Wikipedia Conservative Zach Wamp (R-TN, 1995-2011) writes: “The ugliest truth is that our ‘representatives’ of the people spend as much as half their time raising money. Members of Congress owe… Read More
Quantifying the Value of Nikki Haley’s Endorsement
It was leaked this afternoon that South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley will endorse U.S. Senator Marco Rubio. Questions about Haley’s endorsement have persisted for months. Until today, the only… Read More
Is Nikki Haley a Strong Vice Presidential Candidate? Evidence from Research on the “Veepstakes”
After seven years in office, last night President Obama gave his final State of the Union address. Immediately following Obama’s speech, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley delivered the GOP’s primetime… Read More
Why the House is to blame for the Senate’s polarization
In the American political lexicon, the Senate is said to possess “coolness” and “wisdom.” Words like “decorum,” “comity,” and “respect” are frequently used to describe the institution as well. In… Read More