Monthly Archives: April 2021

During the Trump presidency, many worried about the administrations violation of long-standing norms. And former President Trump certainly did break with a number of enduring traditions, to the extent that his utter disregard for his office almost ceased to shock.

But here at FiveThirtyEight, we have argued that Trumps flouting of norms didnt matter nearly as much as the underlying democratic values his administration threatened from disrespecting the vital role that opposition can play in a democracy to trying to use the military and police for political gain. And, of course, there was the fact that Trump pretty much refused to peacefully concede the election. (He technically did concede, but not until after a violent mob of his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol.)

Trumps presidency highlighted the power that the office, by attacking (or neglecting) democratic values, has to damage democracy. But just because Trump is out of office doesnt mean some values arent still under threat. Yes, President Biden does seem more inclined to follow both the formal and informal rules of the presidency, but a powerful executive branch remains a concern. So here is a look at some of the key democratic values that are still under attack. Some reflect the lingering effects of Trumpism; others are rooted in systemic problems that began well before the Trump years.

Growing economic inequality challenges who has a voice in politics

The United States has high levels of income inequality compared with other wealthy industrialized nations, and this inequality has been growing over time. This trend raises the question of how economic inequality affects our politics specifically, core democratic values like representation and participation in the political process.

This is a weighty topic, and there are areas where scholars dont agree. For example, experts are split on whether political decisions reflect the preferences of high-income Americans more than others. But overall, there is some consensus among experts that economic disparities pose a threat to core democratic values like equality for all and political participation. And some studies even find that economic inequality makes some citizens less likely to engage in politics, including turning out to vote.

In their new book The Economic Other, political scientists Meghan Condon and Amber Wichowsky (a colleague of mine at Marquette University) find that when people compare themselves to those who have greater wealth, they report feeling less confident in their ability to make demands of government even though those comparisons often make them more likely to want government action. This illustrates how high levels of inequality can dampen political engagement and participation.

As with so many things in American politics, economic disparities are also tied up in racial ones. For example, Brookings Institution researcher Vanessa Williamson noted in her examination of the racial wealth gap in the U.S. that the median white household has a net worth 10 times that of the median Black household. The significant gaps we see often reflect many years of policy decisions that have prevented equal opportunity for all.

Of course, the problem that economic inequality poses for American democracy predates the Trump administration. And despite the criticism the administrations 2017 tax bill drew for its focus on the richest Americans, reports are actually somewhat mixed on whether economic inequality got worse (or better) during the first three years of the Trump administration. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, made that debate moot, both underscoring Americas longstanding inequities while also making them worse.

Economic inequality is a long-term and systemic problem. It was also an important issue in the 2020 nomination contest and election, and Biden has pledged to tackle it. What are his prospects for success? On the one hand, the administrations COVID-19 relief bill is expected to bring temporary relief for low-income Americans, and the economy is largely predicted to rebound this year. The Biden administration is also talking about taxing Americas richest citizens and companies to fund government projects. On the other hand, though, Democrats were unable to agree on a proposal to raise the minimum wage. How to address income inequality has long been a source of division for the party, so finding solutions to the deeper and more systemic problems like racial disparities or low wages in some sectors is likely to prove politically challenging.

Distrust in institutions is high; theres also a question of which institutions to trust

Declining levels of trust in American political institutions is another long-term concern in American politics, and its one that certainly got a lot of attention under Trump.

Its no secret that institutions like Congress generally receive low ratings from the public. Its not clear, though, that overall levels of trust in government declined while Trump was in office they were already pretty low.

While the topic is complicated, theres a general sense among experts that our democracy is in a perilous position when people dont trust governing institutions or each other. As political scientists Marc Hetherington and Thomas Rudolph explained in their 2015 book, Why Washington Wont Work, trust is necessary for building coalitions to support government policy.

Today, there are clear partisan differences on the topic, with Republicans reporting far more distrust of other branches of government and other institutions, like the media and colleges and universities, with some even linking this distrust to growing support for anti-democratic movements and ideas.

But the last few years in American politics arent just about institutional distrust. They were also about what institutions are worthy of trust. For instance, high-profile instances of police brutality have made many Americans question whether institutions of criminal justice, like the police, should be trusted. Progressive activists have also questioned the legitimacy of current immigration enforcement, with calls to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, challenging the policy-makers who established these institutions. As such, there is also a more fundamental question underlying questions of institutional distrust that is, which institutions are deserving of support and trust in the first place.

Its easy to focus on the politics of distrust hardcore Republicans and left-leaning activists are often mistrustful of institutions, but institutional distrust also extends beyond ideology. Younger Americans, low-income Americans and those who arent white also have lower levels of personal trust, according to the Pew Research Center. Other academic research also suggests that poor and nonwhite Americans are more likely to have negative experiences with the government, such as policing and carceral contact (probation, parole, and jail or prison), paying fines, or punitive processes to obtain social services.

In other words, its not just that Americans distrust institutions, or that this trust has become polarized. There are also worthwhile questions about whether these institutions broadly reflect core democratic values like equality and human dignity.

Voting and election administration are increasingly politicized

With Georgias new voting law and the passage of Democrats sweeping voting reform bill in the House of Representatives, voting rights have been at the center of both parties national agenda. On the one hand, this isnt a new debate. Americans have long argued over whether rules like requiring photo identification at the polls are discriminatory or would depress voter turnout.

But given how intense the debate around expanding access to mail ballots and absentee voting was leading up to the 2020 presidential election, the conversation around who gets to vote and how elections are conducted has become far more political especially considering the role Trump played in baselessly dismissing these methods as fraudulent and sowing doubt about the integrity of the election results. (Its something thats had real repercussions, too: Six in 10 Republicans still say the election was stolen from Trump due to widespread voter fraud, according to a recent Reuters poll.)

Its no coincidence then that the states where weve seen the biggest pushes for legislation restricting voting are also the ones that were the most closely contested in 2020, as FiveThirtyEight found in a recent analysis of over 300 bills considered in state legislatures this year. Many of these laws, if passed, would likely also disproportionately affect poorer voters and voters of color.

But its not just changes to the voting process at stake; there are also changes in how elections are administered, which risk making them more nakedly partisan affairs. Take the provision in the Georgia law that allows the state elections board to remove local election officials. Given that these state officials are appointed by the Republican-controlled state legislature, there is a risk that there could be more partisan input in the certification of election results something that Trump actively sought in his efforts to overturn the election result in Georgia.

The fight over voting laws reflects some of the same problems outlined earlier inequality along racial and economic lines, the widening ideological gulf between the two parties, and a set of governing institutions that lack public trust and perhaps are not always worthy of public trust but it also underscores how one of our most fundamental democratic values, the right to vote, is now in jeopardy, especially given that one party is increasingly pushing anti-democratic measures.

Threats to democratic values and failure to live up to democratic ideals have a long history in America. And in many ways, these systemic challenges defy the influence of any one leader or administration. But there is evidence that Trumpism and its challenges to democratic values are lingering in the political system. We see this in the persistence of rhetoric that delegitimizes the opposition and voices racist views, and in the decline of bipartisan cooperation in the face of deeper governing divides.

Presidents cant single-handedly address the problems with our democracy. But they can work to set the political tone and empower forces that safeguard, rather than undermine, democratic values.

See the original post here:

Democratic Values Are Still Under Attack Even Without Trump In The White House - FiveThirtyEight

BOSTON (AP) A national political action committee dedicated to helping elect Democratic woman who support abortion rights say they are targeting a series of Republican governors, including Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker.

The group, EMILYs List, faulted Baker for refusing to expand abortion rights in Massachusetts.

Specifically, the group criticized Baker for opposing legislation that would enlarge access to reproductive care and codify the right to an abortion into Massachusetts state law.

They also pointed to his opposition to allowing abortion later in pregnancy under certain medical conditions, and his support of requiring minors to obtain parental consent to have an abortion.

Each and every one of these nine Republican governors have failed to perform what should be their primary duty in office: to use their offices to improve the lives of families across their states, Emily Cain, executive director of EMILYs List, said in written release Tuesday.

We need governors who place the public good over their personal and partisan political agendas. Every one of these states would be much better served by electing a Democratic pro-choice woman governor, she added.

A representative of Bakers political organization did not immediately return a request for comment.

Other Republican governors in New England being targeted by the group include New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu and Vermont Gov. Phil Scott.

Baker last year vetoed a bill known as the Roe Act which sought to codify abortion rights into state law, allow abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy in cases where the child would not survive after birth, and lower from 18 to 16 the age at which women could seek an abortion without consent from a parent or guardian.

Baker said while he strongly supports many provisions of the measure, he could not support expanding the availability of later-term abortions and permitting 16- and 17-year-olds to get an abortion without parental consent.

The Democratic-controlled Massachusetts House and Senate voted to override Bakers veto, making the measure a state law despite his opposition.

Baker, 64, is currently in the middle of his second term and hasnt said whether hell seek a third term in next years election.

Former Massachusetts state Sen. Ben Downing became the first Democrat to formally announce a run for governor in 2022.

Democratic state Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz, a critic of Bakers handling of the coronavirus pandemic, said last month she is weighing a bid for governor. Democratic Attorney General Maura Healey is also seen as a possible candidate.

Baker is generally seen as relatively moderate compared to national Republicans. He was a frequent critic of former President Donald Trump and refused to vote for him in the 2016 and 2020 elections.

Baker remained very popular among Massachusetts voters during much of the pandemic, although his popularity dipped during the distribution of vaccines after a website created by the state to inform residents about where to get vaccinated crashed.

Visit link:

Democratic pro-abortion rights PAC hopes to oust Gov. Baker - Associated Press

Photographer: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg

Photographer: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg

Seventeen New York Democrats told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that any economic recovery bills funded by tax increases will also need to fully restore the state and local tax, or SALT, deduction to get their support.

We will not hesitate to oppose any tax legislation that does not fully restore the SALT deduction, the group said in the letter Wednesday.

The signatories, which include senior lawmakers such as Representative Jerry Nadler as well as progressive freshman Jamaal Bowman and Mondaire Jones, add to the list of Democrats who are threatening to block President Joe Bidens $2.25 billion infrastructure bill funded by corporate tax increases if the legislation also didnt restore a tax break valuable for many residents in high-tax states, including New York, New Jersey and California.

There are more than enough Democrats who have said they would stall legislation in the House if it didnt restore the SALT write-off, which was capped at $10,000 in President Donald Trumps 2017 tax overhaul. The support for the SALT deduction likely means that Pelosi will need to broker a compromise in order to advance Bidens economic agenda.

Any solution is a political tightrope for Democrats to walk, especially progressives. Fully restoring the tax break is an expensive proposition, and could cost $88.7 billion in 2021 alone, with more than half of the benefits going to households earning more than $1 million, according to estimates from the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation.

This comes as Democrats are largely pushing for higher taxes on the wealthy, which is opposed by Republicans. GOP lawmakers also are against restoring the SALT write-off, which would mostly benefit residents of states run by Democrats. Theyve argued those states should instead reduce taxes and spending.

Read More: All About SALT, the Tax Deduction That Divides U.S.: QuickTake

The New York lawmakers say that the $10,000 cap on the tax break hurts residents in their state, where incomes and home valuations tend to be high, because they can no longer write-off those state and local income and property levies. The impact has been made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic, they said.

New York was hit first and hit hardest by the pandemic, and as a result, it lost over 1 million jobs in 2020, the letter, led by Nadler and Representative Tom Suozzi, said. Over 10 percent of the states workforce vanished, with New York City taking the hardest hit and losing over 500,000 jobs. Restoring the SALT deduction would ensure that the state is able to recover as quickly as possible without sacrificing the benefits on which our residents rely.

Before it's here, it's on the Bloomberg Terminal.

Read the original post:

N.Y. Democrats Demand SALT Break Restoration in Recovery Bills - Bloomberg

Despite the Biden administrations denial, we have a crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, and the failure to enforce our laws will have a ripple effect throughout our country, whether it is an increase in crime in our communities or a rise in COVID-19 cases along the border and in communities where migrants are sent.

The United States is a nation built on law and order, and we have immense respect for our law enforcement officers who work to keep our communities safe. Yet the American Dream is under attack because the Biden administration has proven that it has no regard for the rule of law.

First, the Biden team was silent when radical Democrats aggressively pushed to defund the police. Now, progressives are advocating for open borders and expanded amnesty for illegal immigrants, which will draw even more unlawful migration into our country.

NIKKI HALEY: BIDEN'S BORDER CRISIS HERE ARE LESSONS HE CAN LEARN FROM TRUMP'S IMMIGRATION EXAMPLE

These policies have resulted in an unprecedented crisis at the border. Parents are handing their children to drug traffickers and human smugglers to make the perilous trek alone in dangerous conditions. These criminals are profiting from the Biden administrations open border policies, creating a climate of false belief that anyone can cross the border with impunity.

Last week, we traveled to the border to see this crisis firsthand. The out-of-control stream of illegal immigrants across the U.S.-Mexico border continues to exhaust our hardworking Border Patrol agents and other law enforcement officials who work tirelessly day and night.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE OPINION NEWSLETTER

In March, Border Patrol agents apprehendedmore than171,000 migrants at the southern border, marking a 15-year high. This includes nearly 19,000 unaccompanied minors, which tops the prior all-time monthly high of nearly 12,000 in May 2019.

The crisis at the border has allowed an average of 2,200 illegal migrants often cartel smugglers bringing drugs to enter the United States daily without being captured.

We heard from Border Patrol agents about the disastrous effect that the Biden administrations executive orders are having along the border. By ending the Migrant Protection Protocols, Border Patrol has been inundated by the surge of migrants crossing the border. With limited capacity to detain the migrants, the Obama-Biden policy of "catch and release" is back, and Border Patrol agents are forced to release migrants, many of whom have COVID, into our communities.

Our personal experiences at the border were a searing indictment of the Biden-Harris administrations policies and how dangerous they can be for the families and young children who made such a dangerous journey. This has led to a humanitarian crisis where we witnessed crying children packed into crowded cells at processing centers, forced to sleep on the floor inchesapart from each other.

We visited the holding cells President Biden set up for young children, and each had over 400 people crowded inside a cell that was designed to hold 33 people.

This and other heartbreaking scenes we saw at the border were shocking, and if these policies continue, even more families and children will be forced into perilous situations like what we saw firsthand.

President Biden must reverse his failed policies that created this crisis, and Congress must take decisive action on border security.

Customs and Border Protection is overwhelmed trying to handle the surge, and children are being held in cells longer than the law allows due to the backlogged system. The Department of Homeland Security estimates this will only get worse as the year goes on.

The scale of this crisis should be obvious to anyone paying even a little attention to the news. It is clear that the Biden administrations actions to roll back proven Trump administration policies that stemmed the flow of migrants has created a surge of illegal immigration.

President Biden must reverse his failed policies that created this crisis, and Congress must take decisive action on border security. But Democrats in Congress have taken the opposite approach and forced through bills incentivizing illegal immigration by providing taxpayer benefits and green cards to violent criminals and gang members.

Instead of passing reckless legislation, President Biden and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.,should be focused on securing our border.

Walls work, and our Border Patrol agents have said that a secure border is the strongest deterrent to illegal immigration. Over the past four years, Congress has provided funding to construct 458 miles of wall, barriersand fencing along our southern border. Under the Trump administration, we were making progress in securing the border and deterring illegal immigration. However, President Biden halted wall construction, even as contractors still get paid.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Our visit to the border showed us in stark terms how the Biden administrations destructive immigration policies have hurt children on the ground. Our Border Patrol agents are pulled away from stopping drug dealers to instead babysit young migrants. Their facilities dangerously exceed maximum capacity, and there is a constant fear that the crowds of unlawful immigrants may spur a COVID-19 super spreader event.

The fact is, Joe Biden and the Democrats have all but declared Americas border open during a deadly pandemic. We have seen the devastating effects of these policies in person, and we must take action to secure the border and protect our national security.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM REP. STEVE SCALISE

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE BY REP. ANN WAGNER

Republican Ann Wagner represents Missouris 2nd district and serves on the House Financial Services Committee.

See the rest here:

Reps. Scalise & Wagner: Democrats' open border crisis here are the heartbreaking images we saw firsthand - Fox News

ALBANY The Democratic mayoral primary is down to two candidates, but two write-ins are still running. Common Council candidates have popped up to challenge incumbents and several races are already in court.

Welcome to city election season.

Just a few months ago, the electoral picture looked much quieter. Mayor Kathy Sheehan didnt have an established Democratic opponent. The 6th Ward council race, with five declared candidates, appeared to be the most highly contested in the city and no opponents had announced plans publicly yet to take on incumbent council members.

That has all changed.

The only two Democrats on the ballot for mayor on June 22 will be Mayor Kathy Sheehan and the Rev. Valerie Faust. Fausts campaign successfully challenged the petitions submitted by activists Marlon Anderson and Lukee Forbes.

Forbes did not respond to a message seeking comment but previously said he would run as a write-in candidate for the general election.

Anderson said hes still running as a write-in candidate for the Democratic line. He criticized Fausts campaign for challenging his petitions and then asking him to assist with her campaign to beat Sheehan.

Anderson shared messages from the Faust campaign alerting him that he had been knocked off the ballot before he received official notification from the Albany County Board of Elections and urging him to realize that defeating Sheehan was the main goal.

Elections should be decided by the vote of the people and the public records of the candidates running for the office, not in the offices of the BOE or by political operatives manipulating archaic rules, to suppress the vote and will of the people, Anderson said.

Fausts campaign is being run by two Democratic operatives who have butted heads with Sheehans administration before former city councilman Judd Krasher and Anthony Catalano, Jr.

In an email, Krasher said Fausts campaign believed members of Sheehans campaign were quietly trying to help Anderson get on the ballot in order to split the votes against Sheehan. They reached out to Anderson to test that theory, he said.

Mr. Andersons doubling down on his vitriol against Rev. Faust further solidified the theory, Krasher wrote in an email.

Council rivalries aplenty

The council, which has five members stepping down after this year, has nine Democratic primaries as of Wednesday.

Two of those are in court over challenges to petitions. In the 11th Ward, Councilman Alfredo Balarin is challenging the petitions of Luis Williams. Balarin said his campaign took Williams to court claiming that when he recently renewed his license, it matched his childhood home in Rensselaer County. Williams later updated that address on file with the county board of elections in March to match the one he used to gather petitions.

Under the city charter, residents must live in the city for a year before running for office.

Williams, who owns Celebrity Barbershop on Central Avenue, said he hadnt lived at that Rensselaer County address since he was teen and has lived above his shop for over a decade. Williams' campaign also pointed to his continuous voting record in Albany since 2004.

Over in the 14th Ward, which is an open race due to Councilman Joseph Igoes retirement, Celia Evers is challenging the petitions of her opponent, Deborah Zamer, in court.

Evers campaign believes Zamer illegally modified her petitions after she went to submit them to Albany County Board of Elections.

Evers attorney is former congressman John Sweeney, who assisted former president Donald Trumps efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Sweeney, one of the few election lawyers in the area, has worked on local races before, including a 2013 case in which he successfully got a Democratic 1st Ward candidate back on the ballot after his own name was misspelled on his petitions.

Evers declined to comment before a hearing on the matter Thursday. Zamers campaign called Evers decision to hire Sweeney and try to throw out Zamers petitions intimidation tactics.

Using Trump-lawyer John Sweeney to sue me and the 486 voters who signed my nominating petitions, to silence us, is the worst of Albany machine politics. My Democratic opponent has given her blessing to GOP voter suppression tactics, so she doesnt have to face me or the voters, Zamer said in a statement.

Also running for an open seat is former county legislator Brian Scavo, who was convicted in 2015 of two counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument. Scavo is running in the 7th Ward against Violetta De Rosa and Sergio Adams.Scavodid not return a call for comment. He waged a losing campaign for a legislature seat in 2019.

The other Democratic primaries for open seats are the 6th Ward, where there is a contest among Jeff Mayo, Susan Pedo and Gabriella Romero, and the 9th Ward, where the race is between Jolyn Gallagher and Meghan Keegan.

A number of challengers to incumbents have popped up as well, helped in part by the lowered number of signatures needed to get on the ballot.

In the 1st Ward, Sonia Frederick, who was appointed to the seat in 2020 and won a special election to finish out the term, faces Scott Mannarino. In the 2nd Ward, Councilman Derek Johnson is being challenged by Lovett Branch.

In the 3rd Ward, Councilwoman Joyce Love is being challenged by James Davis and Stephen Negron. In the 5th Ward, Councilman Jahmel Robinson faces a challenge from Wilbur Decky Lawson.

Excerpt from:

Mayor Kathy Sheehan will face Rev. Valerie Faust in Democratic primary - Times Union

A group of Democratic lawmakers plan to introduce a bill Thursday to expand the Supreme Court from 9 justices to 13.

In a statement on Twitter, Rep. Mondaire Jones said he is introducing the Judiciary Act of 2021 because our democracy is under assault, and the Supreme Court has dealt the sharpest blows. To restore power to the people, we must #expandthecourt.

Reps. Jones, Jerry Nadler, Hank Johnson and Senator Ed Markey are reportedly holding a press conference Thursday morning to unveil their bill.

The bill is unlikely to become law, given the Democrats' slim majority in the House and Senate.

The announcement is less than a week after President Joe Biden signed an executive order forming a commission to study the possibility of adding more justices to the Supreme Court, in addition to other possible reforms.

The 36-member commission is planning to hold public meetings, and has 180 days to complete a report.

The Supreme Court has had nine justices since 1869.

Read more here:

Congressional Democrats to introduce bill to expand Supreme Court from 9 to 13 justices - The Denver Channel