The struggle to select a Speaker
The historic and dramatic election for Speaker underscores some basic features of Congress and congressional parties.
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MISCHIEFS OF FACTION
Reflections on Parties and Their Place in Politics
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Seth Masket
- Jan 7
- 4 min
The Speaker Fight through the Eyes of Lauren Boebert
Lauren Boebert had an awesome week, and not many people in the House did. She seemed to know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em.
Gregory Koger
- Jan 4
- 3 min
Democrats should propose a plurality rule for Speaker elections
Democrats could make a point of order at the conclusion of a Speaker ballot that a plurality is sufficient to win
The Staff
- Dec 15, 2022
- 4 min
Did Republican-Leaning Polls "Flood the Zone" in 2022?
2022 saw a rise in Republican-leaning pollsters as Election Day approached, which may have biased some aggregate forecasts.
Matthew Green
- Dec 14, 2022
- 4 min
Could a bipartisan coalition elect the next Speaker?
State legislatures have sometimes chosen leaders with cross-party coalitions, but conditions in the U.S. House make it unlikely
Julia Azari
- Nov 20, 2022
- 5 min
Trump's Still Outside the GOP Establishment. That might matter more than you think.
The past couple of weeks have produced some very ambiguous news about the future of Trump and the GOP. One of the most prominent...
Seth Masket
- Nov 13, 2022
- 2 min
The States Swing Both Ways
Some states voted a lot more Democratic in 2022 than they did in 2020, and some voted a lot more Republican. Is this unusual?
Jonathan M. Ladd
- Nov 4, 2022
- 2 min
These Two Big Unknowns Make the 2022 Midterms Unusually Unpredictable
No one knows if Trump coalition will turnout. And no one knows whether Dobbs will disrupt the usual midterm backlash
Seth Masket
- Nov 2, 2022
- 4 min
Tomorrow’s Narratives Today!
We don't know the election results yet, but we know what pundits are going to say.
Matthew Green
- Oct 5, 2022
- 3 min
Assessing the “Commitment to America”
Like other congressional party platforms, it isn’t likely to influence the election -- but it does serve other purposes.
Seth Masket
- Sep 29, 2022
- 3 min
Journalists Sitting On Quotes Is Not Changing Events
Reporters holding back juicy quotes is not affecting the outcome of events. The same information is almost always already out there.
Jennifer N. Victor
- Sep 29, 2022
- 6 min
Democratic backsliding is happening. Good thing we already know what to do.
Our ancestors taught us how to defeat autocracy in the U.S.; we should heed them. It's tempting to start a 10-year retrospective on...
Matthew Green
- Sep 27, 2022
- 3 min
Political parties in Congress: a ten-year retrospective
Congressional parties have changed in the past decade -- and differently across parties and chambers.
Julia Azari
- Sep 27, 2022
- 5 min
Political Science Went Public. American Democracy Got Worse.
What the last decade has shown us about polarization, leadership, and institutions.
Seth Masket
- Sep 27, 2022
- 4 min
With or Without Parties?
Are we still better off with parties than without them? What we've learned about their vulnerabilities and dangers in the past decade.
Seth Masket
- Aug 24, 2022
- 4 min
Are the Forecast Models just plain Wrong?
In 2022, what traditional forecast models are telling is wildly different from what everything else is telling us. Here's why.
The Staff
- Aug 17, 2022
- 4 min
Dobbs and the Sorting of America
by Casey Burgat Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) may be right (well, at least about one part of one thing): the institution-shaking Supreme...
Seth Masket
- Jul 6, 2022
- 5 min
Republicans Doing Normal Party Stuff in Colorado
Something interesting happened in last week's primary elections in Colorado. In several key races, the Republican Party seemed to rally...
Matthew Green
- Jun 14, 2022
- 4 min
The most powerful caucus in Congress?
When it was founded eight years ago, few expected the House Freedom Caucus to be as influential in American politics as it turned out to be.
The Staff
- Jun 9, 2022
- 5 min
What Ohio's Ninth Tells Us About the 2022 Midterm Elections
by Jeff Broxmeyer The slim congressional majorities frustrating President Joe Biden’s governing agenda have roots in the Democratic...
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