Why the House is to blame for the Senate’s polarization

September 14, 2015
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

Left or Right? Who’s further from the middle?

May 28, 2015
Polarization is commonplace in American politics. Both parties are moving away from the middle. The debate often boils down to who is polarizing the most/fastest. New York Times opinion writer Peter… Read More

Political parties are often too convenient an explanation

April 28, 2015
Teagan Goddard asked the question, can politics be “unbundled” from political parties? In other words, if there is a market where we can unbundle phone and internet service, why… Read More

With Ted Cruz’s announcement, the 2016 campaign is starting late, but more intense than ever

March 24, 2015
Like a bugle at the start of a horse race, Ted Cruz’s announcement yesterday signals the beginning of the 2016 presidential election. Indeed, in the American political lexicon the… Read More

Obama wants filibuster reform. Would it help polarization?

February 9, 2015
Obama had some interesting things to say about polarization and the filibuster in his interview with Vox. When the question of if government can work in the midst of polarization… Read More

Can the midterm outcome “solve” Washington’s problems? No. But it can make things worse.

November 4, 2014
An old adage is that lawmakers win reelection by “running against Washington.”  According to a recent Gallup poll, just 14% of Americans approve of Congress’s job performance. So while… Read More

Food Fight! Can Food Brands Predict Elections?

October 8, 2014
A few weeks ago on Meet the Press, Chuck Todd proposed that the fate of the Senate could come down to the distribution of Starbucks coffee shops (an elitist,… Read More

Quantifying Bill’s Value to Hillary’s Campaign (Part 2)

August 28, 2014
In a recent post, I explored whether it’s possible to quantify Bill’s value to Hillary Clinton’s campaign (see here).  In other words: Do voters reward (and punish) Hillary… Read More

Yes, Democrats can win the House (Though Probably not This Year)

July 30, 2014
Chris Cillizza wrote a piece titled, “Why it’s going to be hard for Democrats to win back the House this decade.” He makes the argument that with a declining share… Read More

Seven Numbers to Remember About the VA Compromise

July 28, 2014
According to multiple sources, Representative Jeff Miller (R-FL) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) have reached a tentative agreement on a bill to overhaul the Veterans Affairs health care… Read More