Politics
Polarized politics has changed the dynamics of legislation and policymaking at the state and local level. Political parties with supermajorities are increasingly in control in many states and cities. These stories explain what that means for legislators, governors and mayors and how politicians can navigate this new political landscape.
Urban Democrats and state-level Republicans have long been at odds. Could what’s happening in Charlotte signal a ceasefire?
Many see next year's election as a historic test of American democracy. What does a national survey say about how “democratic” the attitudes of the voters themselves are?
A coalition of six nonpartisan voting rights groups sent a letter to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber calling upon her office to monitor the elections in Shasta County due to concerns about safety and misinformation.
Fifty years ago, Atlanta’s Maynard Jackson was elected as the first Black mayor of a major city in the Deep South. His legacy is one that today’s mayors and other public officials would serve themselves well to know about.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear looks more likely than not to win re-election. Meanwhile, Louisiana Democrats failed to field candidates in many districts for state House and Senate, Oklahoma's Republican attorney general files a lawsuit to block a publicly funded religious charter school and more.
It just might. The state’s new election system, combining nonpartisan primaries and instant-runoff general election voting, makes elections more competitive and encourages cooperative governance.
Even as state officials continue opposition against the newly drawn maps, the document will be used in next year’s elections, state Attorney General Steve Marshall explained on Wednesday.
Effingham County, Ill., has approved new voter registration software, which has the ability to upload election results on election night. Officials also approved the disbursement of $32,780 from the contingency fund for the purchase.
The county commissioners will likely file a lawsuit if a bill that would make it a state crime to illegally cross the border becomes law. Officials are concerned that the financial burdens of the law would fall on localities.
Oakland, Calif., Mayor Sheng Thao gave her first State of the City address on Tuesday, marking the first opportunity to present her vision for how best to tackle the city’s major issues, including crime, homelessness and sports.
Next month, residents will cast ballots on 14 proposed changes to the state Constitution that could impact infrastructure, recreation and higher education. Early voting begins on Oct. 23.
A poll found that 63 percent of Americans agree that the two main political parties do "such a poor job" of representing the public that a third party is needed. Meanwhile, a Republican's home state advantage and demanding input into redistricting.
Pre-emption of local authority has been a major concern over the past decade. Now, states are not only blocking specific laws but stopping cities and counties from addressing entire areas of policy.
The latest numbers show that Republicans now have 588,930 more registered voters than Democrats while independents and no party affiliation voters make up 27.2 percent of the state’s registrations.
The county is mostly white, mostly Republican, has No Party Preference voters and is the latest of California’s counties that is trying to raise support to secede from the state. But none of the past efforts have worked.
The California city’s council passed a resolution on Tuesday, Oct. 3, that declares mask and vaccine mandates are banned within city jurisdiction, with exception for those who test positive for COVID-19.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has approved the new version of the voting equipment’s software to be implemented and piloted in municipal elections in five counties. The upgrade is intended to prevent potential malware and hacks.
Following Ken Paxton's acquittal on corruption charges, the attorney general is seeking revenge against House members who voted to impeach him. He'll likely claim some victories but not change the overall balance of power within that body.
Sami Graham, a former chief of staff to Mayor Dave Bronson, and Daniel Smith denied allegations that they coordinated with Mark Dahl on false city policy to challenge the November election results.
Are we really as divided as we’re being told we are? A new paper from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace takes up that question. Its answer may surprise you.
Louisiana attorney general Jeff Landry is the clear favorite to succeed Gov. John Bel Edwards, but will he prevail? Meanwhile, there seems to be no end to redistricting fights as prominent cases continue in Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, New Mexico and New York.
For the first time since 1885, the county’s Board of Supervisors may have more than just five members as the Board considers expanding its membership to better serve the region’s 10 million residents and a $712 billion economy.
Three former public officials in Morrow County, who own a small telecommunications company, which provides fiber-optic service to Amazon data centers, failed to acknowledge that they stood to profit when they gave tax breaks and arranged land sales.
A lot, says one prominent political scientist. But most of all, they aren’t accountable to anyone.
The Colorado county’s sheriff’s office recently mandated that a notarized form is required to obtain public records. But critics worry the new rule is an unprecedented and unlawful burden.
The state’s Supreme Court will consider whether gerrymandering in congressional district maps is unconstitutional. According to some analysis, only seven House districts had a 25 percent chance of going for either party.
His acquittal makes Paxton a dominant player in Republican primary politics, where hard-right conservatives that share his ideology influence the small primary electorate.
The Greater Idaho movement, which wants to secede from the Beaver State and become a part of its neighbor to the east, had sputtered along for years, gaining little traction. But then, the coronavirus hit in the spring of 2020.
The state faces a potential impeachment battle. As in Washington, the battle lines are nakedly partisan.
Virginia is one of just two states in which legislative control is divided between the parties. Then, what makes special elections so special, Pennsylvania Democrats' struggle to maintain control and attorneys general keep getting in trouble.
It once was widespread in the U.S. We should try it again, at least in a limited way. The advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
