Congress performs poorly by most measures, and a mere 15 percent of the public approves of our national legislature’s performance. The public’s discontent is understandable. Legislators have failed to debate and craft policies to address important issues such as immigration, healthcare, and housing affordability. This report examines whether electoral incentives are to blame for Congress’s […]
Upgrading Congress to Meet the Demands o...
Americans’ dissatisfaction with Congress is long-standing; its public approval rating has hovered between 10 and 30 percent for the last two decades. This discontent threatens national unity and democratic confidence, especially amid polarization and partisan political conflict…. (Read more)
Several Thoughts on Trump’s Executive Or
On March 31, 20226 President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order (EO) ENSURING CITIZENSHIP VERIFICATION AND INTEGRITY IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS. (Yes, the Administration used all caps.) Here is the essence of what it orders…. (Read more)
Portland City Elections: Toward Two Part...
Portland, Oregon, first used its new proportional ranked-choice voting electoral system to elect city council members in November 2024. A variety of groups endorsed candidates in this nonpartisan election. Analyses of these groups’ endorsements point to the emergence of four political blocs: national progressivism, pro-business pragmatism, local progressivism, and laborism…. (Read more)
An Initial Assessment of Proportional Ra...
Harris or Trump could imperil the peacef...
“Presidential power,” declared presidential historian Richard Neustadt, “is the power to persuade.” By virtue of being the center of attention, a president can move the minds of Congress and the public. A party’s presidential nominee has similar power. He or she has been the center of a massive campaign that has involved raising and spending […]