What would a Biden era be like? Recent protests give us some ideas.
I didn’t know when I wrote my Super Tuesday blog post on March 4 that I was in the last week of a normal, pre-pandemic world. I wrote...
MISCHIEFS OF FACTION
Reflections on Parties and Their Place in Politics
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Biden’s VP Selection is Unlikely to Have Much of an Effect on the Dynamics of the Race
Should Joe Biden choose Kamala Harris or Elizabeth Warren as his VP? New polling suggests neither has a strong effect on voters' choices.
Does protesters' dissatisfaction with democracy explain willingness to use violence?
By Michael Heaney Within days of the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers on May 25, 2020, peaceful protests – as well...
What's a Proportional Police Response? It Depends on Who's Watching
It turns out that white people and black people have different views about what's an appropriate police response to disruptive protest.
In Defense of (Good) Photo Ops
A good photo op has important symbolic value and can be empowering. Trump's Bible stunt was pretty much the opposite.
When D.C. Becomes a Political Prop
Trump’s odd photo-op underscores how most politicians see the nation’s capital: as a cheap political prop.
Americans Are Taking Collective Action on Both Sides of COVID-related Policies
By Michael T. Heaney If you have followed recent news stories about protests seeking to end COVID-related stay-at-home orders –...
Democracy is an individual trait
As unrest in America’s cities grows in response to overwhelming injustices, along with the devastating scourge of pandemic disease that...
To Crack Down on Dissent in Hong Kong, Beijing is Sidelining Local Democratic Institutions
The COVID-19 crisis presents challenges for transnational allies to remain vigilant against encroaching threats in Hong Kong.
Parties pick Vice Presidents, and they're not bad at it
The VP nominee process looks a lot like the one party reformers have been pushing for the presidency
Rally (Mostly) ‘Round the (State) Flag
Not all U.S. governors are getting pandemic-related boosts in public support.
Democrats, Republicans Agree on the Science, Disagree on the Politics of Covid-19
A recent survey shows bipartisan support for social distancing, but some important partisan splits on other issues related to the pandemic.
The Trump presidency thrives on norms
The administration that run on a message of disruption, yet has unfailingly maintained power arrangements.
Is the Coronavirus a Threat to American Democracy?
Despite some alarmist headlines, there’s good reason to think American democracy will survive the pandemic.
The Extremely Visible Primary for the Vice Presidential Nomination
Azari and Masket look at an unusually public campaign for the vice presidential slot and what that tells us about parties.
It's about the fundamentals, whatever those will be
We can be confident voters will hold Trump accountable for the fundamentals. We just don't know what those fundamentals are yet.
Are Parties Weak or Strong, Part II
Part II of whether the parties are weak or strong, with a look at the end of the 2020 nomination contest and Biden's strengths as a nominee.
Important lessons from the Wisconsin primary
By Charles Stewart, III The Greater Wisconsin Primary—votes on April 7, results on April 13—served as a petri dish to study what election...
Are Parties Weak or Strong, Part I
Julia Azari and Seth Masket argue over whether parties are strong or weak, focusing on Kamala Harris' withdrawal.
Years of political and economic decay in countries like Zimbabwe promise COVID-19 devastation
Though COVID-19 has mostly skipped Sub-Saharan Africa until now, the region may ultimately be among the hardest-hit in the world.