Will Rescuing Middle America Save Democracy?

Closing the economic divide in the hard-hit industrial Midwestern United States could dampen the fervor of anti-democratic populism, a new working paper suggests. Populism is ascribed to political movements that embrace an us-versus-them mentality. Battles are often fought along socioeconomic, ethnic or communal lines. “When communities are in decline, when residents are anxious about their…

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GOP Blocks Senate COVID Bill, Demands Votes on Immigration

Republicans blocked a Democratic attempt Tuesday to begin Senate debate on a $10 billion COVID-19 compromise, pressing to entangle the bipartisan package with an election-year showdown over immigration restrictions that poses a politically uncomfortable fight for Democrats.  A day after Democratic and GOP bargainers reached agreement on providing the money for treatments, vaccines and testing,…

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