“New Data on State Legislative Polarization – What Does it Mean for Election Policy?”
Doug Chapin blogs on Shor and McCarty’s new data.
Category Archives: political parties
Damning with Faint Praise Dept
NYT: “Pillory Congress all you want as do-nothing or dysfunctional, as its critics often have. But in one respect, lawmakers in the Capitol are remarkably productive: they name post offices like nobody’s business. A new report from the Congressional… Continue reading
Is Boehner a Weak House Speaker?
Vandehei and Allen: “So, yes, Boehner by recent historic standards and measures is a relatively weak speaker right now. But, in fairness, it’s not clear a more bullying or forceful leader would fare much better with this gang of… Continue reading
“GOP Dilemma: Draw New Voters Without Irking Base”
AP: “The Republican Party, having lost the popular vote in five of the last six presidential elections, confronts a dilemma that’s easier to describe than to solve: How can it broaden its appeal to up-for-grabs voters without alienating its… Continue reading
“Partisan Gridlock Thwarts Effort to Alter Health Law”
Must-read front page NYT:
Almost no law as sprawling and consequential as the Affordable Care Act has passed without changes — significant structural changes or routine tweaks known as “technical corrections” — in subsequent months and years. The Children’s Health … Continue reading
“The Seventeenth Amendment and Federalism in an Age of National Political Parties”
David Schleicher has posted this draft on SSRN. Here is the abstract:
Despite it being the constitutional amendment that most altered the design of the federal government, and despite recent efforts by many prominent figures to repeal it,… Continue reading
“Dispute Over Budget Deepens a Rift Within the G.O.P.”
Quote of the Day
“What I fear is the majority leader is working his way toward breaking his word to the Senate and to the American people, and blowing up this institution…He wants to have no debate…Do what I say when I say it.… Continue reading
“McCain Looks to Defuse ‘Nuclear’ Threat”
Roll Call:
Sen. John McCain finds himself once again pushing his colleagues to avoid giving fodder to Democrats seeking to use the “nuclear option” to change Senate rules with a simple majority.
The Arizona Republican’s latest endeavor is to persuade… Continue reading
“McCain, Collins Mock GOP Blockade on Budget Conference’
Roll Call:
Senate Democrats picked up some GOP reinforcements in their bid to get to a conference on a House-Senate budget agreement.
Republican Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Susan Collins of Maine joined Budget Chairwoman Patty Murray, D-Wash.,… Continue reading
“Reid Mulls Nuclear-Style Filibuster Reform For Nominations”
“Virginia’s Republican Slate Picked by Tiny Sliver”
WaPo editorial:
MORE THAN a quarter of Virginia’s electorate considers itself Republican, which translates to almost 1 million voters. Of that number, about 8,000 — less than 1 percent — showed up at the party’s convention in Richmond over… Continue reading
“Is nuclear winter coming to the Senate this summer?”
Sarah Binder sees confusion ahead.