Brookings: Projects - Red and Blue Nation

Governance Studies

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:55:43 GMT

Governance Studies brings together people interested in improving the performance of our national government and bettering the economic security, social welfare, and opportunity available to all Americans.

Red and Blue Nation

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:38:59 GMT

In Defense of Partisan Politics

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The year 2009 was supposed to mark the dawn of a post-partisan era. However, America’s partisan politics have remained as stubbornly intense and polarized as ever. Yet, as Pietro Nivola writes, increased partisanship has an upside: party unity, accountability, civic engagement and voter turnout have all increased with partisan politics.

One and a Half Cheers for Bipartisanship

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

William Galston warns that partisan polarization means that parties are less likely to seek common ground or to make compromises. Its negative consequences include a dysfunctional judicial confirmation process, the difficulty of maintaining a steady foreign policy and the depression of public trust in government.

Is 2008 a Post-Partisan Year?

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Pietro Nivola examines whether American politics are at a dawn of a “post-partisan” age. Many speculate that the divide between Democrats and Republicans is narrowing, and a new era of bipartisan comity is just around the corner. Nivola argues otherwise.

Electoral Districting in the U.S.: Can Canada Help?

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

John Courtney examines whether “importing” the Canadian model of independent electoral boundary redistricting commissions would help the American districting problem.

Vote Like Thy Neighbor

Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The ideological differences between the political parties are growing, write Pietro Nivola and William Galston, and political polarization has become akin to political segregation. You are less likely to live near someone whose politics differ from your own. While many Americans want less polarization, they argue, "the underlying structure of our politics remains so deeply divided, the 2008 election may not requite their wish."

The Future of Red, Blue and Purple America: Election Demographics, 2008 and Beyond

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 09:30:00 GMT

Event Information:

February 28, 2008, 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM

Campaign 2008 has already provided some tantalizing clues about the demographic and geographic shifts underway in red, blue and purple America. At this conference, leading demographers, geographers and analysts examined seven of the most important changes and explained where these trends came from, assessed their likely effects on this year’s election and outlined the ways they may affect our political future and the policy challenges both parties have to face.

The Search for the Next Soccer Mom: Trends to Watch in 2008

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The evolution of American politics is bound up with demographic and geographic change. So what are the trends to watch in 2008? A number of them are examined by Visiting Fellow Ruy Teixeira and AEI's Karlyn Bowman.

Red and Blue Nation? Consequences and Correction of America’s Polarized Politics

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 10:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

February 15, 2008, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Brookings released the second and final volume of Red and Blue Nation?, which addresses the consequences of polarized politics and possible corrective policies. Co-editors Pietro Nivola, vice president and director of Governance Studies at Brookings, and David Brady of Stanford University were joined by contributing authors in a discussion of their findings.

Red and Blue Nation? Volume II : Consequences and Correction of America's Polarized Politics

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 12:00:00 GMT

This new volume of Red and Blue Nation delves into the consequences of the gulf between "red states" and "blue states." The authors examine the impact of these political divisions on voter behavior, Congressional law-making, judicial selection, and foreign policy formation.

The Future of Red, Blue and Purple America

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A key contributor to political polarization in the U.S. frequently overlooked is the demographic and geographic changes in the electorate that have altered the sizes of different population groups and even shifted their political orientations over time. Brookings Ruy Teixeira examines the new wave of demographic and geographic changes currently washing over the U.S. and their profound effects on future politics.

Partisan Polarization and Foreign Policy

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 10:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

November 30, 2007, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM

On November 30, the Brookings Institution hosted a discussion on partisan polarization in the United States and its effect on foreign policy, a topic addressed by Peter Beinart of the Council on Foreign Relations in the forthcoming Brookings book Red and Blue Nation: Volume II.

America Must Learn to Love Consensus

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Bitter partisan battles persist in Congress. It's a mistake for Democrats and Republicans, as Brookings Clive Crook writes, to reject centrist politics completely. Some measure of bipartisanship is needed.

Gridlock on Capitol Hill

Sat, 20 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

According to recent public opinion polls, approval rating for Congress remains particularly low. With ideologically divided parties sharing power and eyeing the upcoming presidential election, writes Sarah Binder, we should not be surprised to see stalemate on Capitol Hill.

Why I'm Not Looking Forward to the New Supreme Court Term

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The Supreme Court begins its term on October 1st. Benjamin Wittes of Governance Studies weighs in on some of the big cases on their schedule and the ideological divisions within the court.

Is the Broken Branch on the Mend?

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 09:30:00 GMT

Event Information:

September 04, 2007, 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM

Brookings and other experts graded congressional accomplishments in 2007 on the war in Iraq and a range of domestic issues—including health care, immigration, energy and education reform—and examined legislators' progress in reforming the way they do business.

Is the Broken Branch on the Mend? An Early Report on the 110th Congress

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The failure of Congress to fulfill its responsibilities as the first branch of government—to engage in responsible and deliberative lawmaking, to police the ethical behavior of its members, and to check and balance the executive—contributed to the demise of the Republican majority in last November's midterm election.

Red and Blue Nation? Characteristics and Causes of America's Polarized Politics

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 10:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

April 18, 2007, 10:00 AM to 4/18/2007 12:00:00 PM

Red and Blue Nation: Volume I participants took their findings on the road for a nation-wide campus book tour, including a public event at Stanford University's Hoover Institution

Red and Blue Nation? Political Polarization in America

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 15:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

March 29, 2007, 3:00 PM to 3/29/2007 5:00:00 PM

Red and Blue Nation took its findings on the road and co-hosted an event on March 29 with the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life at Boston College.

Can Congress Legislate for the Future?

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Observing the summer rush to pass bills deemed important for legislators facing tough re-election battles, a Capitol Hill reporter summed up the season as "Legislating for November." Given legislators' incentives to take credit and to avoid blame, the question naturally arises: Can Congress legislate for the longer-term?

Red and Blue Nation: How Deep is America's Political Divide?

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 10:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

December 08, 2006, 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM

Red and Blue Nation? Volume I : Characteristics and Causes of America's Polarized Politics

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Analysts and pundits increasingly perceive a widening gulf between red states and blue states. Yet the research to support that perception is scattered and sometimes difficult to parse. Americas polarized politics, it is said, poses fundamental

Political Polarization: A Dispatch from the Scholarly Front Lines

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The Brookings Institution, in collaboration with Stanford University's Hoover Institution, set out understand the causes and consequences of polarizion in America's body politic. In March 2006, Brookings's Governance Studies Program hosted a conference in which scholars presented their papers.

Do the Mass Media Divide Us?

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 14:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

November 28, 2006, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM

In the ongoing debate about the causes and consequences of America's polarized politics, the mass media often are blamed for contributing to this division. The rise of cable television and 24-hour news channels has created more media outlets than ever, giving citizens greater choice among sources of news, and giving news greater competition from entertainment programming. This ever-increasing and changing coverage of political news, including today's "in-your-face" talk shows, may play a role in polarizing the public and threatening our democratic institutions.

New Senate Leaders Prepare for Next Term

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Interview with Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein; NewsHour with Jim Lehrer (11/14/06)

Is There a Culture War? : A Dialogue on Values and American Public Life

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

In the wake of a bitter presidential campaign and in the face of numerous divisive policy questions, many Americans wonder if their country has split in two. People are passionately choosing sides on contentious issues such as the invasion of Iraq, g

The Great Divide: Polarization in American Politics

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

It has become conventional wisdom that contemporary American politics is deeply and debilitatingly polarized. But is this supposition true? William Galston and Pietro Nivola examine the extent of polarization in American ideology, culture and politics.

Polarizing the House of Representatives: How Much Does Gerrymandering Matter?

Mon, 30 Oct 2006 14:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

October 30, 2006, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM

The 2006 mid-term elections presented new questions about gerrymandering—particularly how Election Day results would be affected by congressional redistricting designed to provide an electoral edge to certain political parties and incumbents, or to disadvantage racial groups as the Supreme Court recently ruled Texas had done.

American Politics and the Religious Divide

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 14:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

September 26, 2006, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM

The Marketplace of Democracy : Electoral Competition and American Politics

Fri, 01 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Since 1998, U.S. House incumbents have won a staggering 98 percent of their reelection races. Electoral competition has also declined in some state and primary elections. The Marketplace for Democracy combines the resources of two eminent research or

Red and Blue Nation? Causes, Consequences, and Correction of America's Polarized Politics

Mon, 01 May 2006 00:00:00 GMT

In light of the extreme divisiveness of recent presidential elections, the Brookings Institution in collaboration with the Hoover Institution convened a conference of leading political experts to discuss polarization and the state of American politics.

Party Lines : Competition, Partisanship, and Congressional Redistricting

Tue, 15 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

In Party Lines, eminent political analysts explain the legal and political history of redistricting since the one personone vote revolution in the 1960s and place it in the larger context of American politics. The authors document the impact

Redistricting Reform After the Ohio and California Initiatives

Tue, 15 Nov 2005 09:30:00 GMT

Event Information:

November 15, 2005, 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM

This Battle Isn't New: The Filibustering of Judicial Nominations

Sun, 06 Mar 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Sarah Binder and Steven S. Smith; St. Louis Post-Dispatch (3/6/05)

Thinking About Political Polarization

Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Policy Brief #139, by Pietro S. Nivola (January 2005)

Bipolar Disorder: Is America Divided?

Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Article by Jonathan Rauch; Atlantic Monthly (January/February 2005)

Political Parties and Partisanship: A Look at the American Electorate

Fri, 17 Sep 2004 10:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

September 17, 2004, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM

Competition, Partisanship, and Congressional Redistricting

Fri, 16 Apr 2004 08:30:00 GMT

Event Information:

April 16, 2004, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM

Stalemate : Causes and Consequences of Legislative Gridlock

Tue, 25 Feb 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Stalemate examines the causes and consequences of gridlock, exploring the ways in which elections and institutions together limit the capacity of Congress and the president to make public law.

Going Nowhere: A Gridlocked Congress

Fri, 01 Dec 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Brookings Review article by Sarah Binder (Winter 2000)

Politics or Principle? : Filibustering in the United States Senate

Mon, 02 Dec 1996 00:00:00 GMT

The filibuster has achieved almost mythic proportions in the history of American politics, but it has escaped a careful, critical assessment for more than 50 years. In this book, Sarah Binder and Steven Smith provide such an assessment as they addres

The Disappearing Political Center: Congress and the Incredible Shrinking Middle

Sun, 01 Sep 1996 00:00:00 GMT

Brookings Review article by Sarah Binder (Fall 1996)