Category Archives: The Presidency

The State of the Union: Putting First Things First

Posted on February 13, 2013 by

State of the Unions.  What are they good for?  Absolutely nothing. Ok “absolutely nothing” is an oversimplification.  But as best political scientists are able to discern, presidential speeches in general—like last night’s State of the Union—have little independent effect on … Continue reading →

Posted in Legislative Politics, Policy Agendas, Political Behavior, Separation of Powers, The Presidency | Leave a comment

Google Politics: “Register to Vote”

Posted on September 7, 2012 by

This from Google Politics today on the Twitters: Here are some additional data from Google Trends for you to chew on.  Thoughts on the relevance or irrelevance of these data are welcome. The chart below reports the search volume for “register to vote” over the … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections, The Presidency, Voting Behavior | 3 Comments

Paul Ryan “Worked With Democrats as Often as Any Republican.”

Posted on August 27, 2012 by

The effort to define Paul Ryan is in full swing.  While most political observers are well aware of Ryan’s record, prior to his VP selection fully 43% of Americans reported having never heard of him.  So how should we define … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections, Legislative Politics, Polarization, Political Parties, The Presidency | 1 Comment

The Veepstakes: What’s the Electoral Value of a Vice President?

Posted on August 11, 2012 by

A few hours ago, Mitt Romney announced Wisconsin representative Paul Ryan as his running mate.  It seems obvious that in picking Ryan, Romney is trying to solidify his position with fiscal conservatives and doubling down on the economy.  Personally, I think it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections, Electoral Institutions, Political Behavior, The Presidency | Leave a comment

Left and Right are Still Important: The Flux of National Debate

Posted on February 24, 2012 by

Ezra Klein is frustrated with the fluctuation in party positions. His most damaging critique of this dynamic: “Parties — particularly when they’re in the minority — care more about power than policy.” And parties’ fluctuation in their respective policy positions “make … Continue reading →

Posted in Filibuster, Policy Agendas, Political Parties, The Presidency | 1 Comment