In a September 14 article, political scientists Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein explain why third parties are not viable in our system of government.
A September 13 YouGov poll found that people believe the war against terrorism has been worth the cost by a 46 percent to 30 percent margin. However, by a 54 percent to 30 percent margin they believe the war in Iraq was a mistake. People are about equally divided on the war in Afghanistan.
A September 13 Harris poll found that people are becoming increasingly alienated and believe that the rich are getting richer at their expense, that their opinion doesn’t count for anything, and that their leaders are out of touch.
A September 12 Pew poll found that the Republican Party is perceived as becoming more conservative while the Democratic Party is becoming more moderate.
In a September 8 commentary, University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato forecast that the 2012 election will be decided in these states: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Virginia.
On September 6, the Brookings Institution published a poll on what it means to be an American today. Among the findings: so-called “Fox New Republicans” are much more willing to believe that racial discrimination against whites is as serious a problem as discrimination against minorities, and are also more distrustful of American Muslims than other Republicans.
An August 30 Rasmussen poll found that the Tea Party label is now considered pejorative by a 43 percent to 29 percent margin.
An August 25 Pew poll found increasing public dissatisfaction with the federal government, Congress and both political parties.
An August 15 YouGov poll found that 4 out of 5 Americans favor some sort of supermajority requirement for Congress to raise taxes, the debt ceiling and other measures.
An August 12 Gallup poll found that Democrats enjoy a 51 percent to 44 percent advantage over Republicans in next year’s congressional elections at this point.
I last posted items on this topic on August 12.
Bruce Bartlett is an American historian and columnist who focuses on the intersection between politics and economics. He blogs daily and writes a weekly column for The Fiscal Times. Bartlett has written for Forbes Magazine and Creators Syndicate, and his work is informed by many years in government, including as a senior policy analyst in the Reagan White House. He is the author of seven books including the New York Times best-seller, Imposter: How George W. Bush Bankrupted America and Betrayed the Reagan Legacy (Doubleday, 2006).
