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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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
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.
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.
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.
Seth Masket
- May 5, 2022
- 4 min
Who Fled the Center?
Elon Musk is wrong about polarization, but the truth is actually complicated depending on which part of parties you examine.
Matthew Green
- Mar 30, 2022
- 2 min
Do congressional party platforms matter?
Election-year minority party agendas are important, but not for the reasons most people think.
Matthew Green
- Feb 22, 2022
- 4 min
The continuing war against Liz Cheney
Why did GOP leaders commit the risky move of endorsing Cheney’s primary challenger? And what does it tell us about the GOP?
The Staff
- Jan 26, 2022
- 8 min
When a Party Censures
Julia and Seth argue about Sinema, whether parties should censure, and whether this was the time to do it.
Matthew Green
- Jan 20, 2022
- 3 min
Bipartisanship should not be an end in itself
History tells us that both political parties can – and sometimes have – agreed to do harmful things.
Matthew Green
- Nov 30, 2021
- 3 min
Is Kevin McCarthy in trouble?
Recent warnings that Kevin McCarthy won't be chosen speaker in a GOP-led House are not credible.
Matthew Green
- Nov 15, 2021
- 3 min
Why the “GOP Thirteen” aren’t likely to be punished
Strong sanctions are rarely used against party defectors in Congress – for good reason.
Matthew Green
- Oct 4, 2021
- 4 min
The Misconceptions that Guide Congress
The ongoing debate over the passage of transportation and budget bills underscore how lawmakers act on behalf of misleading assumptions.
Matthew Green
- Sep 22, 2021
- 4 min
Are Democrats retaliating against Republicans who voted to undo the 2020 election?
Inter-party punishments for the events of January 6th may be less widespread than they seem.
Gregory Koger
- Jun 11, 2021
- 3 min
To Reform the Filibuster, Parties Need to Protect Marginal Senators
If majority parties can help marginal members navigate the tension between the policy demands of their party base and the moderate preferenc
Matthew Green
- May 12, 2021
- 6 min
The Tea Party and the Rise of a Conservative Insurgency
A conversation with Rachel Blum about her recent book How the Tea Party Captured the GOP.
The Staff
- May 10, 2021
- 4 min
Why Republicans are Ousting Liz Cheney
The House GOP has decided it can’t win without Trump’s voters and it can’t keep Trump’s voters if a party leader is condemning Trump.
The Staff
- May 3, 2021
- 4 min
It Takes (At Least) Two to Do Democracy
A third of state legislative contests regularly go uncontested, undermining one of the basic facets of democratic governance.
Matthew Green
- Apr 26, 2021
- 4 min
Mayor of Crazytown
John Boehner’s new memoir underscores the challenges of governing in today’s Congress.
Matthew Green
- Mar 22, 2021
- 4 min
To delay or not to delay?
House Republicans wrestle with an age-old dilemma: cooperation versus confrontation.
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