Mischiefs of Faction
This post is part of Mischiefs of Faction, an independent political science blog featuring reflections on the party system.
Whether Joe runs or not, these folks will win.
As California showed us in the past decade, sometimes the only way to pass a budget is to sacrifice a legislator or two.
Authenticity is a term that tells us almost nothing about candidates. But it tells us a lot about how we perceive the presidency.
Donald Trump’s rise and eventual fall as a candidate is not that different from that of outsider candidates in past years. Yet as the voting gets closer, their support always withers.
By proving some political science wrong, a Donald Trump nomination would teach us some things.
Being speaker of the House is a party leadership position. So is running for president. But the development of nationalized parties has changed what it takes to lead a party.
Paul Krugman is terribly wrong about John Boehner.
Could a speaker more trusted by conservatives do any better? Or is being speaker in this polarized era an impossible job?
Boehner needed to be tougher and smarter in handling Republican dissidents.
How the minority party can sometimes get its way even when the majority rules.
Social security is going broke. Why you don’t need to worry.
Scott Walker is dropping out before other long shots because he’s a better politician.
He saw the future, about 6 months late.
The budget fight might be a great “teachable moment” for 2016 presidential contenders.
Scott Walker’s out. But the big questions about the 2016 nomination race remain.
The Constitution refers to slavery only a few times - does that mean it’s not part of our national legacy? Constitutional history is about more than words on a page.
“Justice never sleeps,” says Rand Paul. Apparently, neither do we.
The plot to oust Boehner is a laughable legislative strategy. The rebels cannot guarantee a vote, cannot be sure of Democrats’ help, and would rupture the system of selecting speakers, all in the quest for policies they cannot attain.
HBO’s miniseries Show Me A Hero masterfully demonstrates both the creative and destructive potential of candidate ambition.
We can wait for an anti-party hero to save us, but it’s not going to happen.
Jeb Bush wants to reduce (some of) your taxes.
Politicians and pundits love criticizing “special interests.” But the problem isn’t interest groups. It is extreme income and social inequality, which tilts the balance of interest group power too much toward the privileged.
Boehner should lead his party by letting them show how angry — and disorganized — they really are.
Why Trump’s current dominance in the polls doesn’t signify a shift in American politics and doesn’t warrant panic.
Was the 2016 election a mandate? It’s hard to know, because it hasn’t happened yet. That hasn’t kept us from writing about it.