Article Archive
From McGovern to Obama
If you look at the map of the states where McGovern ran ahead of his national average, you see something very much like the map of the states carried by Obama.
States Aren’t Red or Blue Forever
We shouldn’t assume that the political alignment of the last decade will be permanent. It may even change significantly in the next election, with quite a few states dropping out of one of the red, purple, or blue categories and moving into another.
How to Understand Obama’s Chances in 2012
The popular vote for the House and the president have converged. Here’s what it means for Obama’s chances in 2012.
Does the GOP Need the Educated Class?
After the Republican disaster of 2008, some conservative intellectuals hoped the party would try to gain support from educated elites. The 2010 election shows that GOP gains came from almost all parts of the electorate except the elite.
The Enduring Character of Democrats and Republicans in Times of Political Change
The failures of the two parties to achieve the dominant status their strategists hoped for and predicted has been due in large part to their basic character.
America in an Age of Open Field Politics
This year’s Republican success will likely prove to be no more permanent than the 2006–2008 Democratic successes were.
The Democrats Have a Concentration Problem
Will Republicans gain the net 40 seats they need for a majority in the House? Several factors will certainly help.
The Return of the Jeffersonian Vision and the Rejection of Progressivism
We are once again—as in the days of the early republic and not in the heyday of the Progressives and the New Dealers—a republic of property owners.
More Anti-Democrat than Anti-Incumbent
It’s more perilous for an incumbent to be a Democrat than a Republican this year, in primaries as well as in the general election.
The Coastal Conundrum
The large domestic outflow from coastal metropolises is disturbing, and suggests a vote of no-confidence in our formerly fastest-growing metro areas.
What 1946 Can Tell Us About 2010
It is interesting to look back at the biggest Republican victory of the last 80 years, the off-year election of 1946. What’s similar and what’s different today?
How the Recession Has Changed American Migration
The old saying that Americans have been moving from the Snow Belt to the Sun Belt fails to capture either what has been happening from 1990 to the onset of the current recession in 2007 or what is happening today.
Massachusetts: ‘the Educated Class’ versus the People
Factory and mill town Massachusetts responded very differently to last week’s Senate election than ‘educated class’ Massachusetts, swinging sharply to Republican Scott Brown.
Why Do Parties Last Longer in Britain?
What’s striking about British politics is the infrequency of changes in government from one party to another. This is less true in the United States. Why the difference?
A Keystone Election
A lot of attention has been given to the results of the November 3 gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia. But another recent election, in Pennsylvania, also deserves attention.
Delayed Childbearing and Voting Behavior
The correlation between religious and moral values and voting behavior did not operate a generation ago.
An Immigration Tipping Point?
The U.S. Census Bureau’s recent announcement on the nation’s foreign-born percentage of the population may prove a landmark in American demographic history.
Republicans and Democrats: A Tale of Two Bases
On Capitol Hill, Democrats are much more beholden to their base than are Republicans.
The GOP's Real Problems for 2012
The Ensign and Sanford scandals are beside the point. The Republican Party is going to have a hard time coming up with a strong presidential nominee in 2012.
No Bed of Roses for Democrats in the Garden State
The outlook is good for Chris Christie in the New Jersey governor’s race.