Partisanship is frequently criticized as a destructive force in U.S. politics, with some arguing it leads to polarization, gridlock, and possibly anti-democratic attitudes and actions. Even the framers of the Constitution warned about its potential for harm. At its base, partisanship is just the simple action of choosing sides – but it’s powerful. Identifying or […]
The partisan identification of registered voters is now evenly split between the two major parties: 49% of registered voters are Democrats or lean to the Democratic Party, and a nearly identical share – 48% – are Republicans or lean to the Republican Party. The partisan balance has tightened in recent years following a clear edge […]
While trust in the federal government hovers near a historic low, public views of Congress, the Supreme Court and the president also are quite negative. However, people’s ratings of the job performance of their own congressional representative – in contrast with views of Congress as a whole – are more positive than negative. Their assessments […]