15 Comments
User's avatar
Alan Spool's avatar

One issue that has not been asked about in these polls but probably should is adherence to the rule of law. How can we see how the public views that? I have disagreed with many Republican's policies before, but this sets my limited remaining hair on fire. Is that also true for the general public?

Expand full comment
Alan Neff's avatar

GEM: Your issue-salience analysis is especially interesting today. Thanks for including it.

Expand full comment
Marsha Kessler's avatar

Thanks Elliott, very interesting!Have you calculated PSA over multiple years and presidencies? In particular, do you have the same calculations at the beginning of Trumps first term, heading into 2018 / 2022 midterms and into 2020 / 2024 general elections?

Many thanks

Expand full comment
G. Elliott Morris's avatar

No, but that's a good idea!

Expand full comment
Marsha Kessler's avatar

Elliot, happy to help pull it together - it relates to various analyses I’m doing.

Expand full comment
G. Elliott Morris's avatar

If you end up having something to share, always open to hearing about it on email

Expand full comment
Alice Barton's avatar

Thanks ever so much for your profound presentation of the "gesture" of the statistics!!

Expand full comment
The Coke Brothers's avatar

So basically 50% of American voters are idiots with zero memory and zero attention spans, and the critical thinking and listening skills of a squirrel. I hope everyone has the day that they voted for.

PS and trump getting some Bukkake action after yelling at Zelenskyi was DISGUSTING

Expand full comment
G. Elliott Morris's avatar

I will be more generous... voters are generally rational, in the long run, and good at picking up relative policy changes they disagree with, even if they have very fuzzy absolute preferences. Media and partisan opinion leaders are a big problem, though.

Expand full comment
Alan Neff's avatar

I wish I could agree with you that "...voters are generally rational, in the long run..." but I wonder whether the thermostatic hypothesis you reference supports or undermines that assertion. Voters might indeed be seeking a kind of equilibration over time, over all policy issues, or any given issue, but is that rational behavior in and of itself?

Expand full comment
G. Elliott Morris's avatar

This is a good book that discusses these issues: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/R/bo3762628.html

Unfortunately, it is a bit old now, and the updated scholarship on the area is not as promising https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/08913810802316373

A while ago I thought to do an epilogue to Strength In Numbers (the book) about why partisanship is destroying the central premise of democracy (and thus polling), but have never really made the time. Maybe I should

Expand full comment
Alan Neff's avatar

You definitely should. Please let me know if you're interested in a writing partner...

Expand full comment
Alan Neff's avatar

...and I'll check out the book you recommend.

Expand full comment
The Coke Brothers's avatar

Could not agree more re media, that has turned to generating "content", truth be damned

Expand full comment
Marci Morris's avatar

Awesome read this morning! Thanks for the indepth look and explanations! Special thanks for including the interactive chart as well as all the other charts! "Gimme more charts, baby!"

Expand full comment