The Roy Moore Case and the Nature of US Political Parties

The Moore situation illustrates the nonhierarchical nature of US parties. This is nothing new.

Spanish Prime Minister To Remove Catalonia’s Government From Power

Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy has said he will act to remove Catalonia’s pro-independence leadership from power.

Obama Blasts Trump’s ‘Politics Of Division’

President Obama spoke out yesterday against his successor and the America he has created.

Is Centrism A Viable Political Strategy? It Sure Doesn’t Look Like It

The ‘No Labels’ movement is back, and it’s as irrelevant to contemporary politics as ever.

Democratic States Sue Trump Administration Over Decision To End DACA

As expected, a group of Democratic states is suing the Trump Administration over the decision to end the DACA program.

The FARC Makes the Official Transition to Political Party

A key step in the Colombian peace process.

On Repeal of the 17th Amendment

Ignorance of history and process is a hallmark 17th Amendment repeal arguments.

Baby Boomers No Longer The Majority Of U.S. Voters

A new study shows that Baby Boomers no longer account for the largest segment of voters in the United States.

Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Case On Partisan Gerrymandering

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear its first case on partisan gerrymandering in more than ten years, but opponents of the practice shouldn’t start celebrating just yet.

Macron’s Centrist Party Scores Big Wins In French Legislative Elections

The political party formed by French President Emmanuel Macron just about a year ago scored big wins in yesterday’s first round of legislative elections.

Bombing At Ariana Grande Concert In Manchester, England Kills 22, Wounds Dozens

A night of carnage and depravity in the United Kingdom.

Impeachment Talk Grows, But It’s Not Going To Happen Anytime Soon

Even with the revelations of the last three weeks, impeaching the President is still largely a fantasy.

The Power of Primaries

As usual, an attempt to explain congressional behavior brings us back to the issue of our basic institutions. The way we elect congress matters.

The First 100

An assessment of the 45th President’s first 100 days.

Donald Trump Shrugging Donald Trump Shrugging

Trump Supporters Starting To Lose Faith?

One month in, some Trump supporters are starting to wonder if he will actually deliver on what he promised.

Donald Trump Is President, America Will Survive This

While vigilance is called for, America will survive Donald Trump just as it has survived everything else we’ve faced since the nation’s founding.

Donald Trump Is Time’s ‘Person Of The Year’

In the end, there was no other logical choice.

Federal Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Senate Over Merrick Garland Nomination

A Federal Judge has dismissed a lawsuit that tried to make an end-run around the Senate and put Merrick Garland on the Supreme Court.

Donald Trump: Establishment Candidate

On Tuesday night the Establishment won and won yuge. (From new OTB contributor, Michael Bailey)

No, The Democratic Party Is Not ‘Decimated’

Reports of the demise of the Democratic Party have been greatly exaggerated.

Initial G.D.P. Reports Show Stronger Growth In The Summer

Initial reports for the third quarter show strong economic growth during the summer;

With Three Weeks To Go, Clinton’s Momentum Appears To Be Surging

With twenty-one days to go until Election Day, things are looking very good for Hillary Clinton.

Former Israeli Prime Minister And President Shimon Peres Dies At 93

One of the last survivors of Israel’s founding generation has passed away.

Despite Historic Success, Gary Johnson Struggles To Qualify For Presidential Debates

Gary Johnson is doing better than any third-party candidate in twenty years, but that doesn’t mean he’s likely to get an invitation to the upcoming Presidential debates.

No, the Party can’t “Do Something” about Trump

The nature of US parties means that Trump more or less is the GOP at the moment, and hence the GOP will do nothing about Trump.

Federal Courts Strike Down Voter ID Laws In Wisconsin, North Carolina

Big losses for proponents of Voter ID laws in two swing states.

Hillary Clinton Makes History As Convention Tone Changes

The second night of the Democratic Convention seemed much calmer than the first, as the Clinton campaign moves forward toward the biggest speech of Hillary Clinton’s life.

Pre-Convention Polls Show Clinton Leading, Johnson Rising, Major Party Candidates Hated

A look at the state of the race before the two party conventions begin.

Marco Rubio Decides He’s Running For Re-Election After All

Marco Rubio changes his mind, and drops the first hint that he’s already thinking about the Presidential race in 2020 or 2024.

Gary Johnson Hits 12% In Latest Fox News Poll

Libertarian Party Presidential nominee Gary Johnson is doing quite well in the polls, when pollsters bother to include him.

Dilbert’s Scott Adams and Donald Trump

The cartoonist and student of human psychology is fascinated by the con artist who would be president.

Republicans Suddenly Finding ‘Scheduling Conflicts’ That Preclude Showing Up In Cleveland

An increasing number of Republican politicians are finding reasons to skip the Republican National Convention.

Gary Johnson, Bill Weld, and the ‘Libertarian Party’

With two former Republican governors running under its banner, is there such a thing as a “Libertarian Party”?

Gary Johnson Selected As Libertarian Nominee For President

For the second election cycle in a row, and after a contentious floor fight, former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson is the Libertarian Party’s nominee for President.

Hoping For A Breakthrough, Libertarians Meet In Orlando To Pick A Nominee

With Republicans in Trump-induced disarray, Libertarians are meeting to pick their nominee and the hope that 2016 could be the year their party finally gets the attention it has craved for four decades.

Republicans Discuss Rules Changes To Stop The Next Donald Trump

Even before the 2016 convention, Republicans are talking about possible rules changes to stop another Trump-like candidate in 2020 or beyond.

Yes, The Delegate Allocation Process Is “Undemocratic.” So What?

There are many aspects of the way delegates to the party convention are chosen that is “undemocratic,” but it’s unclear why this is a problem.

Leaked Documents Reveal International Web Of Hidden Assets, Secret Bank Accounts

A treasure trove of documents from a law firm in Panama could prove problematic for a large group of international leaders.

Solid Jobs Growth For February, But Shadows Remain Hovering Over The Economy

February’s Jobs Report was relatively positive, but there are still shadows hovering over the economy as we head further into the year.

The End of the Republican Party As We Know It?

Ronald Reagan famously claimed, “I didn’t leave the Democratic Party. The party left me.” I’m going through the process in reverse.

Jeff Sessions Endorses Donald Trump, While Other Republicans Begin To Panic

Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions became the latest prominent Republican to endorse Donald Trump, but there are a lot more Republicans who are starting to panic over what Trump could do to their party.

Chris Christie Endorses Donald Trump, Donald Trump Steals Post-Debate News Cycle

With one surprise endorsement, Donald Trump stole the post-debate news cycle from Marco Rubio.

Rubio Campaign Telling Donors It’s Preparing For A Brokered Convention

Bizarrely, the Marco Rubio campaign seems to be telling donors that their candidate may have to hope for a brokered convention to win the GOP nomination.

Iowa 2016 Provides Yet More Evidence For The Argument Against Caucuses

Reports of discrepancies in the counting of ballots in the Democratic Caucus in Iowa reveal yet again why the caucus process is outdated and ought to be abandoned.

Des Moines Register Endorses Clinton, Rubio

Hillary Clinton and Marco Rubio have won the endorsement of the Des Moines Register, but it’s unclear how much this will help their respective campaigns.

Michael Bloomberg Apparently Thinking Of Running For President For Some Reason

We’re in another Presidential election cycle so it must be time to speculate about Michael Bloomberg again.

The Quixotic Quest for the Radical Center

Americans don’t trust their government or each other. There’s no reason to hope it’ll get better.