Thomas E. Mann
Thomas E. Mann
Thomas E. Mannis the W. Averell Harriman Chair and a senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, a non-partisan think tank based in Washington, D.C. He primarily studies and speaks on elections in the United States, campaign finance reform, Senate and filibuster reform, Congress, redistricting, and political polarization...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionSociologist
Date of Birth10 September 1944
CountryUnited States of America
act break country hardened itself leadership might partisan provide recent sorted
The country has sorted itself ideologically into the two political parties, and those partisan attachments have hardened in recent years. It will take an extraordinary event and act of leadership to break this partisan divide. I thought 9/11 might provide such an opportunity, but it was not seized.
carpe-diem ideas impossible
It is impossible for ideas to compete in the marketplace if no forum for their presentation is provided or available.
party majority congress
With the parties at virtual parity and the ideological gulf between them never greater, the stakes of majority control of Congress are extremely high.
president supportive voters
While Republican voters have remained universally supportive of their President, Democrats and Independents are returning to a more naturally critical stance.
beauty artist path
For I must tell you that we artists cannot tread the path of Beauty without Eros keeping company with us and appointing himself as our guide.
party political risk
Redistricting is a deeply political process, with incumbents actively seeking to minimize the risk to themselves (via bipartisan gerrymanders) or to gain additional seats for their party (via partisan gerrymanders).
attachment political perception
Further-more, partisan attachments powerfully shape political perceptions, beliefs and values, and incumbents enjoy advantages well beyond the way in which their districts are configured.
party two political
In addition to the decline in competition, American politics today is characterized by a growing ideological polarization between the two major political parties.
presidential unity approval
But presidential approval also became a surrogate measure of national unity and patriotism.
successful numbers perspective
In the House, Republican prospects have been buoyed by several successful rounds of redistricting, which have sharply reduced the number of competitive seats and given the Republicans a national advantage of at least a dozen seats.
party healthy unity
A healthy degree of party unity among Democrats and Republicans has deteriorated into bitter partisan warfare.
party mean race
The increase in straight-ticket party voting in recent years means that competitive congressional races can tip one way or the other depending on the showing of the candidates at the top of the ticket.
designed ensure fair ideology interests meaningful norms order oversight party process regular serious traditions trump
Party and ideology routinely trump institutional interests and responsibilities. Regular order - the set of rules, norms and traditions designed to ensure a fair and transparent process - was the first casualty. The results: No serious deliberation. No meaningful oversight of the executive. A culture of corruption.
candidate mandates objective realities sold subjective
Mandates are not objective realities but subjective interpretations of elections sold successfully by the winning candidate or party.