Category Archives: political polarization

“Political Parties and Loser’s Consent in American Politics”

April 4, 2024, 8:20 ampolitical polarizationRick Hasen

Geoffrey Layman , Frances Lee, and Christina Wolbrecht have this new article in the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. Abstract: Social science has established that political parties have been indispensable to American democracy and… Continue reading

“Murkowski Won’t Vote for Trump and Declines Ruling Out Leaving the G.O.P.”

March 26, 2024, 7:00 ampolitical parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

NYT: Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, said in an interview released on Sunday that she would not vote for former President Donald J. Trump. She also did not rule out the possibility of leaving the Republican Party. In the… Continue reading

“Ranked-Choice Voting is MAGA’s Latest Target; Leonard Leo and other far-right power players are attacking a bipartisan election reform.”

February 29, 2024, 11:19 amalternative voting systems, political polarizationRick Hasen

Brendan Fischer writes for Documented (here’s the version at Rolling Stone): An organized and well-funded network of right-wing groups is spending countless millions attacking a bipartisan election reform that could threaten the MAGA political project. Ranked-choice voting — which… Continue reading

“The winner-take-all incentives that have racially polarized America – and led to Trump”

February 1, 2024, 4:05 pmpolitical polarizationRick Hasen

Steven Hill: Amidst all the ink and electrons reporting on the bitter partisan divisions that gnaw at America today, what has been missing is due recognition of how extreme policy positions and failure to compromise are incited by certain fundamental… Continue reading

Ned Foley-Ben Ginsberg-Rick Hasen Amicus Brief Warns SCOTUS of Political Instability, Potential Violence, and Voter Disenfranchisement If It Avoids Deciding Merits in Trump Disqualification Case

January 18, 2024, 11:30 ampolitical polarization, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Thanks to the excellent work of Michael Kimberly and Charles Seidell of the McDermott Firm, Ned Foley, Ben Ginsberg and I have filed this amicus brief supporting neither party in the Trump disqualification case at the Supreme Court. Below is… Continue reading

“Democracy Hypocrisy: Examining America’s Fragile Democratic Convictions”

January 4, 2024, 7:19 ampolitical polarizationRick Hasen

New report via the Democracy Fund by Joe Goldman, Lee Drutman, and Oscar Pocasangre: Key Findings While the vast majority of Americans claim to support democracy (more than 80 percent say democracy is a fairly or very good political system… Continue reading

“MAGA-dominated state Republican parties plagued by infighting, money woes”

November 13, 2023, 7:06 ampolitical parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

WaPo: In Arizona, the state GOP chairman has been begging the Republican National Committee for a financial bailout. Michigan party officials have gotten into physical fights as their finances have dipped into the red. And in Georgia, the state party… Continue reading

House hobbled. Can we call it a crisis of governance yet? And is the Republican Party really a party anymore?

October 20, 2023, 12:27 pmpolitical parties, political polarizationHouse SpeakershipTabatha Abu El-Haj

“House Republicans vote to drop Jim Jordan as speaker nominee.” And to be frank, we should be glad of that. As Representative Pete Aguilar said on Tuesday, elevating Jim Jordan, “a vocal election denier and an insurrection insider… Continue reading

“The surprising group of Republicans preventing Jim Jordan from becoming House speaker”

October 19, 2023, 7:34 ampolitical polarizationHouse SpeakershipTabatha Abu El-Haj

Washington Post offers a nice corrective, noting that it is not clear that the opposition to Jim Jordan is coherent. “6 hail from districts Biden won in 2020.” “8 belong to a bipartisan group of moderates.” The rest have all… Continue reading

Republicans in Competive Districts Fear Speaker Fight Could Cost Them House (and Office?)

October 19, 2023, 4:27 ampolitical polarizationcompetitive districts, governanceTabatha Abu El-Haj

N.Y. TImes reports on the rising fears that a Jim Jordan speakership could cost Republicans the House. Even the fight is causing worry. Those most concerned are representatives from districts that voted for Biden in 2022. “The latest round of… Continue reading

“Jordan Loses 2nd Vote for Speaker as House Scrambles for Path Forward”

October 18, 2023, 10:50 ampolitical polarizationgovernanceTabatha Abu El-Haj

N.Y. Times and others reporting that Jim Jordan has lost a second bid for Speaker of the House on Wednesday. The House will probably pick a Speaker this week, even as how and whom still remains unclear. And I wouldn’t… Continue reading

“Jordan falls short of speakership on first vote”

October 17, 2023, 12:20 pmpolitical parties, political polarizationgovernance, House RepublicansTabatha Abu El-Haj

Washington Post and pretty much everyone else is reporting that Representative Jordan received 200 votes in the first round, well short of the 217 he needs. (Democrat Jeffries received 212). The drama will continue.

“The New Republican Establishment; An alternative Trumpist governing elite gets closer to ruling the party.”

October 12, 2023, 7:35 ampolitical polarizationRick Hasen

Nate Cohn for the NYT: In the final account, the rise and fall of Kevin McCarthy might read like the familiar tale of a Republican congressional leader toppled by a small but uncompromising right-wing faction. But even if the story… Continue reading

“Vote to oust McCarthy is a warning sign for democracy, scholars say”

October 4, 2023, 10:57 ampolitical polarizationRick Hasen

WaPo: When the House of Representatives voted to oustKevin McCarthy as Speaker on Tuesday, it was the first such removal in American history, a vividrebuke of his leadership and an escalation of the civil strife withinthe Republican Party. But historians… Continue reading