Feds may be rethinking the drug war, but states have been leading the way
Faced with overcrowded prisons and soaring correctional costs, states are rethinking how to define and punish drug crimes.
Americans: Disengaged, feeling less respected, but still see U.S. as world’s military superpower
Polls show that Americans don’t want to get too involved in Ukraine’s problems with Russian encroachment, just as they have been disinclined to get drawn into other recent world trouble spots, including Syria, Egypt and Libya.
Obama, Americans put more emphasis on ties with Europe
President Obama emphasized the importance of U.S.-European relations in Brussels today amid the allies’ growing concerns about Russia’s increasingly assertive behavior in Eastern Europe — and at a time when most Americans see political, economic and military ties with the continent as more important than they did several years ago.
Resurgent public optimism on the economy? Don’t hold your breath
One of the biggest political puzzles of 2014 is why the public remains so bearish about the economy, and in turn critical of Barack Obama’s stewardship of it, given clear signs that economic indicators are improving. An analysis by Andrew Kohut.
61% of young Republicans favor same-sex marriage
Today, 61% of Republicans and Republican leaners under 30 favor same-sex marriage while just 35% oppose it. By contrast, just 27% of Republicans ages 50 and older favor allowing gays and lesbians to marry.
5 facts about Republicans
The annual Conservative Political Action Committee kicked off its annual conference Thursday, providing an early test for potential GOP presidential candidates and also putting into sharp relief the differences in the Republican Party.
Public’s anti-incumbent mood hasn’t always predicted big electoral swings
Despite surveys showing anti-incumbent sentiments at or near all-time highs, most members of Congress appear to have little to worry about.
Just 28% of Republicans believe GOP advocates its principles well
A minority of Republicans believe that their party is doing a good job in standing up for its traditional positions of smaller government, tax-cutting and conservative social values.
American unions membership declines as public support fluctuates
Though unions retain much public support, the share of American workers who actually belong to one has been falling for decades and is at its lowest level since the Great Depression
As U.S. role in Afghanistan nears an end, more Americans see failure than success
About half of Americans say the U.S. has mostly failed to achieve its goals in Afghanistan.
