Debate and Law

Political parties build policy-driven coalitions that help them achieve their electoral goals. But, it’s helpful to think of parties as being motivated more by winning elections than by winning policy outcomes. […]

Looking at the history of America’s political parties, there are six periods or ‘party systems’ beginning with 1789. The Democratic and Republican coalitions in the sixth party system have undergone major overhauls over the years. […]

Many ideologies help us understand how the Supreme Court and public sentiment are associated together. Judicial activism and judicial restraint are the most relevant in this regard. […]

Three distinct periods, before the 1860s, between the Civil War through World War II, and after World War II, influenced the Supreme Court in a major way, as each era left lasting reforms. […]

The Supreme Court plays a significant role in policymaking through its decisions and precedents. The public, organized special interests, and political parties have a variety of means to try to affect the Court’s rulings and decisions. […]

Predictions before the 2016 election picked Hillary Clinton to win, but instead, Trump was elected president. Still, the polling was relatively accurate because Mrs. Clinton won the popular vote. […]

Self-interest, value, and political socialization are three main sources of individual opinion that help people make their own views toward politics and political choices. […]

In individual opinion, each person’s view is not influenced by others, while the aggregate opinion, as its name implies, is completely influenced by the opinion of the whole. […]