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.
MISCHIEFS OF FACTION
Reflections on Parties and Their Place in Politics
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The Staff
District pork or Trump loyalty? West Virginia primary shows what Republican voters value most.
By Jeffrey Lazarus and Jennifer Victor Which matters more in Republican electoral politics today–loyalty to Trump or loyalty to...
Do congressional party platforms matter?
Election-year minority party agendas are important, but not for the reasons most people think.
Trump’s unusual endorsement game
Trump’s atypical approach to endorsing election candidates shows who his endorsements are really for: himself.
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 dysfunctional Senate
A conversation with Daniel Wirls about his recent book "The Senate: From White Supremacy to Governmental Gridlock."
Bipartisanship should not be an end in itself
History tells us that both political parties can – and sometimes have – agreed to do harmful things.
Is Kevin McCarthy in trouble?
Recent warnings that Kevin McCarthy won't be chosen speaker in a GOP-led House are not credible.
Why the “GOP Thirteen” aren’t likely to be punished
Strong sanctions are rarely used against party defectors in Congress – for good reason.
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.
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.
The Staff
The Limited Power of Trump’s Endorsements
The former president has begun endorsing favored Republicans in the 2022 elections, but evidence suggests that it may backfire.
Gregory Koger
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
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.
Mayor of Crazytown
John Boehner’s new memoir underscores the challenges of governing in today’s Congress.
To delay or not to delay?
House Republicans wrestle with an age-old dilemma: cooperation versus confrontation.
Jennifer N. Victor
Integrity versus Democracy: the battle for voting rights in 2021
You can have a democratic system with weakly defined sovereignty, but you can’t have a sovereign democracy that excludes groups of people.
The Staff
Are voters' preferences over stimulus checks driven by party loyalty or financial gain?
Experiment shows Republicans' fealty to Trump overrides their desire for stimulus money
A dark day
The violent attack on the U.S. Congress put a glaring spotlight on two disturbing features of contemporary American politics.
The politics of governing with a tiny majority
Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats will be tested by their party’s smaller size.