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Seven Numbers to Remember About the VA Compromise

July 28, 2014  ·  LegBranch Team
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

An Ideological Mapping of South Carolina’s Senate Candidates

July 22, 2014  ·  LegBranch Team
When it comes to politics, South Carolina is full of intrigue. From Lee Atwater’s Southern Strategy and the 2000 Republican primary to Joe Wilson’s “You Lie!” and Stephen Colbert’s… Read More

Why the Logic of “Throwing the Bums Out” is Wrong

July 7, 2014  ·  LegBranch Team
As the election season ramps up, Americans offer dozens of claims about the “problems” facing our country and their purported “solutions.”  But while many of these claims are amenable to… Read More

Are Career Politicians “Out of Touch” with Constituents?

June 9, 2014  ·  LegBranch Team
On Tuesday, Republican voters in South Carolina head to the polls to elect a candidate for the U.S. Senate seat occupied by Lindsey Graham.  Graham, who’s held the position since 2002,… Read More

Bergdahl, Benghazi, and Beyond: The Politics of Congressional Investigations

June 6, 2014  ·  LegBranch Team
Is Bowe Bergdahl the new Benghazi? It would certainly seem so.  Several Republicans are calling for investigations into the now infamous prisoner swap.  Calls for impeachment… Read More

Assessing Congressional Productivity: Getting it Right

May 12, 2014  ·  LegBranch Team
The Washington Post’s Wonkblog had a write up on congressional productivity not long ago. Its central thesis is Congress is more productive in election years than in non-election years. This is… Read More

Nickelback, Herpes, and Obama’s Vote Share in 2012

April 21, 2014  ·  LegBranch Team
Spurious relationships are a serious problem in social scientific research.  But… they’re also fun!  For example, did you know that ice cream causes crime?  Also, global temperature is inversely related… Read More

Liberal Bias in the Classroom: College of Charleston Edition

April 17, 2014  ·  LegBranch Team
You’ve heard about it.  College professors, who are disproportionately liberal, skew the views of their impressionable young students by assigning leftist books and poking fun at conservatives in the… Read More

Boehner’s Overthrow and the “Then What?” Problem

April 11, 2014  ·  LegBranch Team
Boehner’s time as Speaker may be limited. Yesterday Tim Alberta reported on substantial conversations to replace Boehner. This morning Brian Buetler verified that these talks are not… Read More

Voting Against the Debt Limit Is for Losers Redux

February 11, 2014  ·  LegBranch Team
A few minutes ago, the House voted 221-201 to approve a “clean” debt limit increase.  What’s interesting about this—aside from all of it—is that this is yet another violation of the… Read More