Mischiefs of Faction
This post is part of Mischiefs of Faction, an independent political science blog featuring reflections on the party system.
What does it mean for the presidency to be democratic, exactly?
The Peretz-era New Republic’s stances on race and foreign policy once were a dissenting branch of liberalism. Now they don’t seem liberal at all.
Comparing Obama’s eighth and final State of the Union Address with that of fictional President Andrew Shepherd.
Social science predicted that it can’t predict the Trumps of the world.
Donate to parties, not candidates.
What was predictable, what we didn’t predict, and what we couldn’t have predicted.
More Republicans than Democrats are running for office lately.
The national party committees’ roles in the 2016 race highlight the asymmetry between parties.
The Mischiefs of Faction analyze the last Republican debate of 2015 .
Presidents don’t have magic powers. But they still have a lot of power.
If the informal winnowing processes aren’t working, there are still the formal ones.
The Oval Office address was the president’s most “third way” speech yet.
In 2010, Colorado Republican activists nominated someone party insiders didn’t like. The result was a devastating split in the party.
Trump won’t win. But party clashes over nominations do happen.
Alexander Hamilton or Aaron Burr? Hillary Clinton or Ross Perot? How do you choose?
When other governors refused to take in an unpopular group, this governor stood up and tried to change people’s minds.
Why do the media fixate on verifying irrelevant facts about the candidates? Because it’s what they’re best at.
Democrats are winning on ideas and losing on organization.
Politics is an actual job, involving specific skills that take time and effort to hone.
Republican Candidates have formed a union to restrain the excesses of free enterprise.
The GOP wants to use the debates to find vulnerable candidates. Some of the candidates want to use them to reach the voters directly.
US elections in non-presidential years underrepresent disadvantaged groups. But in blue states, the nationalization of politics can offset those effects.
Knowing who’s winning is about knowing which horse race to watch.
How the Mischiefs of Faction saw the third Republican debate.
Meet the rule that will save Planned Parenthood in the Senate.
Colorado Republicans changed the rules for their presidential caucus. Here’s how this affects down-ballot candidates.
House Freedom Caucus members might be surprised that they have something in common with Woodrow Wilson.
On the verge of becoming the next speaker of the House, Ryan has already visibly overplayed his hand.
Sure, the Democrats face a disadvantage in 2016. The party that’s controlled the White House for two terms usually does.
“Conditional party government” means legislators give power to party leaders when they mostly all agree. Ryan wants them to even though they don’t.
Biden withdrew because no one in the party was backing him.
The Mischiefs of Faction writers respond to the first Democratic debate.
Clinton will probably be the 2016 nominee and, if elected, will probably face a Republican Congress for four more years of gridlock. Why tune in tonight to hear more?
The superdonors in the 2016 race look Republican because the Republican presidential race is much more competitive.
Fifteen presidential candidates and a postponed speaker election. What does this tell us about parties, institutions, and the current moment in politics?
The fear of a Jedi coup led to the downfall of the Galactic Republic.
John Boehner’s big advantage: He doesn’t have to be elected speaker of the House.
There were lots of problems with the portrayal of the Senate in the Star Wars prequels, but the worst was the lack of parties.
Jeb Bush’s comments came off as tone-deaf, while President Obama’s revisited old arguments. Good rhetoric resonates and shakes things up.