While the House Republican leadership imploded after the 1998 elections, the Senate majority leader kept a low profile. Despite his reputation as a conservative ideologue, Trent Lott is a big-money pragmatist—some would say an opportunist.
Money, Politics, and Power
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State of the Debate: Family Values: The Sequel
The Institute for America Values has helped define recent debate about the family. But its writers have the facts wrong–the policies they encourage could actually make children’s lives worse.
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Controversy: Why Did Clinton Win?
Will Marshall and Mark Penn debate Robert L. Borosage and Stanley B. Greenberg.
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Ballot Blocks
Poor people are typically democracy’s missing persons. But the patterns of low-income voting show what really motivates the voters on election day.
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Dead Center
The centrist politics of the election produced a shrunken electorate and mandate. Are there fresh sources of progressive energy at the grass roots?
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Take the Initiative, Please: Referendum Madness in California
Ballot initiatives were supposed to make government more responsive to the people. In California, a series of referenda has had just the opposite effect.
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Motor Voter or Motivated Voter?
The Motor Voter law was supposed to dramatically increase turnout and give marginalized groups more voice in politics. Unfortunately, getting these groups to register doesn’t do any good if you don’t give them reason to vote.
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The Turnout Imperative
Low voter participation favors conservatives. If liberals want to avoid a reprise of 1994 in 1998, they have to make turnout a top priority — and fortunately some are already hard at work.
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Clean Elections, How To
Public frustration with political influence peddling hasn’t been this high since Watergate, and thanks to Maine we finally have an example of how to do reform right.
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Drift or Mandate?: The 1996 Elections
The voters’ decision in November will determine whether the late 1990s usher in America’s “fourth Republic.”
