The 2026 midterms have a missing-electorate problem
Before asking who will show up in November, ask who is still in the pool
Mischiefs of Faction
A political science blog focused on analysis of current events, managed by professors Jennifer N. Victor (George Mason U.) and Matthew N. Green (Catholic U.), editors-in-chief. Our staff list is dynamic. Pitch us: https://forms.gle/HCxBBCM7wcauG6JK6
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Latest posts
How to Haggle your Way to the Speakership
John Leganski’s account of his time working for Congressman Kevin McCarthy sheds some light on why the House GOP has become so difficult to lead.
Bicameralism is a Drag
The eternal frustration of trying to get the other chamber to do what you want.
How to (Not) Maintain Political Power
The rules of power in Washington that Trump did – and did not – follow last week.
Restoring Balance to our Constitutional System
A running list of reforms.
The most-talked-about topic at a national political science conference was not what I expected
Amidst an overwhelming decline in democratic institutions over the past year, political science professors are talking more about AI than the state of affairs in the US.
Anatomy of a vote
Watching House Republicans seize victory from the jaws of defeat.
Discharge petitions and the fragile authority of Republican leaders
Speaker Johnson is trying to lead a House whose members increasingly reject strong party leadership.
How much trouble is Speaker Johnson in?
Johnson is likely to survive this Congress, but the speakership is not the secure position it once was.
Lessons from the longest shutdown ever
What I got wrong and (arguably) got right