Anyone old enough to have lived through the mayhem and economic decline of the 1970s probably will recall the tax cut heard round the world. That was the famous California ballot initiative Proposition 13, which slashed property taxes by more than 25% and then screwed a tight cap on future rate increases.
Is Great Britain on the brink of a Trump revolution?
What a difference half a decade makes. This summer's prevailing ethos, zeitgeist, vibe -- call it any fancy name you want -- was sharply different from the summer, just five years ago, of COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter.
Rasmussen Report’s new survey of voters under 40 paints a stark picture. Most believe the economy is unfair to them, and a majority would even support a law to confiscate Americans’ “excess wealth” (second homes, luxury cars, boats) to help young people buy a first home. Fifty-five percent endorse that idea, but just 38% oppose it. Only 29% of individuals under 40 are homeowners, and many feel “stuck,” lonely, or in crisis.
— In most cases, state supreme court elections get little attention, but they can have important impacts on policy.
— There will be one state with closely watched state supreme court elections in 2025: Pennsylvania. Then, in 2026, elections are currently scheduled for 31 states, although that number could change depending on retirements or deaths.
— In addition to the 2025 races in Pennsylvania, the 2026 contests likely to attract attention are in Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio, Wisconsin, and possibly Alabama and Kentucky.
President Donald Trump has done an admirable job at defanging the IRS, which was converted into a weaponized agency targeting Democrats' political enemies.
The federal government owns about a third of America.
There are too many politicians in America today who think a man like Decarlos Brown belongs on the streets and not behind bars or in a padded cell.
When the Irish comedian Graham Linehan arrived at London Heathrow Airport this past weekend, he was greeted by five armed British police officers who arrested him for -- get this -- three rude tweets.
A new Rasmussen Reports survey reveals that 40% of Americans now believe the minimum wage should be at least $15 an hour, up from 36% a year ago. That’s a strong sentiment. After all, who doesn’t want working Americans to earn more? But compassion and sound economics are two very different things.
— As the post-Labor Day sprint to the November gubernatorial races begins, we are upgrading Democrats in Virginia, moving that race to Likely Democratic. New Jersey remains as Leans Democratic.
— For the 2026 races, open seats in Iowa and Maine get more competitive in our ratings.
— Republicans should be able to easily win a new seat in Missouri as the result of a new proposed gerrymander, the latest development in the fast-moving redistricting wars.
"Mental health is declining," says psychologist Jonathan Haidt.
The Elizabeth Warrens of the world have long complained about how the rules in Washington and on Wall Street are rigged in favor of the rich.
The Constitution of the United States lays out a complex scheme of governance that has mostly worked for the 237 years since it became effective with the ratification of the ninth state, New Hampshire, in 1788.
— In Iowa, Democrats continued to rack up special election overperformances by flipping a Trump-won state Senate seat that is based in Sioux City.
— Democrats have broken the GOP’s supermajority in the state Senate, although Republicans still hold comfortable majorities in both chambers of the legislature.
— A judge threw out Utah’s current House map, a GOP gerrymander, ruling that it does not fit with the guidelines set by a 2018 voter-approved state ballot issue.
— A fairer map of Utah would probably have one blue seat and three red ones, instead of four red ones, though Utah Republicans may try to delay a new map’s implementation.
Let's start with a very simple truism: You can't have prosperity without people.
Is it Comrade President now?
The extraordinary pair of meetings in the past week -- the Trump-Putin summit in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday and Donald Trump's hosting of the leaders of Ukraine, Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Finland, as well as the NATO alliance and the European Commission -- were prompted by the latest iteration of a continuing source of instability over hundreds of years.
— This cycle, 31 states will hold elections for attorney general—one in 2025 (Virginia) and the rest in 2026.
— Currently, the GOP holds 28 attorney general offices to 22 for the Democrats (counting an independent in Hawaii who was appointed by Democratic Gov. Josh Green).
— Our analysis suggests that seven AG races this year are currently competitive, including five Toss-ups. Democrats will largely be playing defense: All five seats in the Toss-up category are currently held by Democrats, with at least two of them open-seat races.
