Mischiefs of Faction

Democrats are trying to learn from 2016 and prevent the same problems in the nomination race.

For the second presidential cycle in a row, there’s a record-breaking number of candidates in the nominee race.

He sounds a lot more disjunctive than transformative.

There are currently more than 20 Democrats running for president. That’s not great for the party.

Hans Noel and Seth Masket discuss the pitfalls of electability arguments, and what might make for good evidence.

In the 1970s, our political system was better suited to meet a crisis than it is now.

Some people called the April 30 events a “coup,” and others called it an “uprising.” Political science research shows that matters.

Biden painted Trump as a threat to American values. This strategy might be tougher than he thinks.

How did evangelicals come to find themselves in this advantageous position under President Trump?

Mueller does not set out to prove that the president engaged in obstruction of justice; he logically disproves all the ways in which he didn’t.

A lot of people do, at least when they have direct input on how governments spend their money.

If polarization really is a problem, we should focus on what is actually associated with it rather than what’s easy to change.

All American citizens should be able to become president.

While the Electoral College is a stranger, more poorly designed institution, the Senate poses much bigger challenges going forward.

A look at other constitutions explains why American executives are so ineffectual.

Reformers are trying to change the way presidents are elected without formally changing the Constitution. It’s not the first time.

In the first post of a series, Jennifer Victor explains two of the biggest mistakes baked into US government from the start: slavery and suffrage.

News sources and conversation partners lead the way.

New issue priorities will be a prominent theme for Democrats heading into 2020.

Comedian José de Abreu declared himself president via Twitter.

NSF-funded programs increasingly benefit organizations in Democratic congressional districts.

John Hickenlooper is a pragmatic two-term governor with a record of bipartisan accomplishment. Is that what the party wants?

Despite the sharp right turn in Brazilian politics, evangelical legislators remain a question mark.

Hungry people fare better in democracies.

It’s hard to make an elected official quit.

Three gaps help us understand the politics of the wall, the shutdown, and the national emergency declaration.

The question today is whether there are donors for members who don’t walk in lockstep with their leaders.

The Brazilian gun debate is déjà vu all over again — but in Brazil, Congress could limit expanded access.

How the ultraconservative House faction may have influenced the current border wall spending fight.

Will a committee mark a new start for Capitol Hill?

It’s still early, but the Democratic Party is showing some power.

After a year of violence and division, some hope for 2019.

Interviews with Democratic activists find them mostly uncommitted for 2020 but considering a pretty narrow group of candidates

What Bush’s legacy tells us about the modern presidency.

Though she’s not speaker yet, she has some key advantages over her opponents.

Democrats will do more coordinating in picking a 2020 candidate than Republicans did for 2016.

The 1923 speaker election illustrated the power of a majority party faction to bargain for reform and drive a speaker from power.