Governing v. Elections: A False Dichotomy
Pundits, particularly those supporting the majority, love to emphasize an “inherent tension” in our governing system: Governing v. Elections. You likely heard this frequently during the healthcare debate. As progress… Read More
Michael Steele’s Gaffes: An Empirical Assessment
In the wake of Michael Steele’s most recent gaffe, political pundits and observers opined on the topic of Steele’s effects (broadly defined) on the Republican Party. With little variation, the… Read More
College Football, Politics, and “Irrationality”
I thought I’d pick up on a comment Jordan offered in his last post. Other than being a nice piece, this research on college football’s relevance to politics highlights an… Read More
On the Calendar
This week on Capitol Hill: The House and Senate reconvened today. Scott Brown is a tentative “yes” on Wall Street reform. What about the filibuster pivot from West… Read More
Two of my Favorite Things: College Football and Politics
This week, ESPN and other sports news outlets carried an AP story which contained some actual political science. The original AP story summarized a study by Healy,… Read More
Deficit Democrats
There is a lot of uproar about the recent deficit dispute. Republicans say, as if they were holding hands around a camp fire, that we are mortgaging our children’s future… Read More
And now the Democrats hate the Filibuster
Maybe this title is a bit of a hyperbole. But in a recent interview, Speaker Pelosi gives the impression that filibusters are beginning to irk her. Pelosi’s… Read More
Yucca Mountain
When teaching American politics to undergraduates, I always seem to find a handful of examples or issues that transcend each lecture. The politics surrounding Yucca Mountain is my next universal… Read More
A History of Congressional Absurdity
Teaching a class on Congress is not easy. While procedural nuances and institutional norms are sometimes difficult to articulate, the most difficult obstacle I encounter is students’ hatred for American… Read More