OP-EDs
Politics, abortion and the false consensus effect. Why it matters | Opinion (The Pennsylvania Capital-Star, 7/18/2023)
We would all be wise to remember that our views are often not shared by most other people...
To get action on climate change, change the subject (The Philadelphia Inquirer, 5/31/2022)
The path towards climate solutions begins by reframing the debate in a way that is less likely to trigger polarized political responses...
The GOP Commitment to Democracy (The Hill, 4/10/2021)
The ongoing attempt by GOP legislators in 43 states to curtail access to voting is the latest in a series of actions by Republican elites that seem designed to undermine our democratic system of government. These actions raise perhaps the most pressing question about the current state of American politics — is the Republican Party fully committed to American democracy? That’s an important question because democracy is unlikely to persist unless right-leaning parties support it....
Should we retire the ‘wave’ election moniker? (The Hill, 10/15/2018)
Will a “blue wave” in the 2018 mid-terms return Democrats to a position of policymaking relevance, or will the Republican’s structural advantages granted by re-apportionment act as an effective seawall to keep the Republican majority in our legislative bodies? With less than a month remaining, no question seems more important or more disputed....
Legislatures aren’t Supposed to be Efficient (The Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/2/2018)
Should Pennsylvania's voters be cheered or frustrated that efforts to reduce the size of the state legislature have slowed? Anyone who believes a smaller legislature will reduce costs or become suddenly more responsive and efficient is likely to be among the frustrated; we do not believe a smaller legislature will produce any of those benefits....
One Year Later What Does Trump’s Win Mean for PA Politics? (The Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/26/2017)
Disaffection was thought to be rooted in place; the specific circumstances of communities that made residents feel left behind economically, culturally, and politically.
Wording Matters on PA’s Judicial Ballot Question (The Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/7/2016)
The legal fight over the state's judicial retirement ballot question continues on as another court challenge gets underway. The plaintiffs claim the ballot wording offered by the Republican-controlled legislature is "manifestly deceptive" because, according to them, it does not provide enough information to voters. Are the plaintiffs right?
Can Trump, Clinton accent positives to overcome negatives? (The Philadelphia Inquirer, 6/8/2016)
No candidate with negative personal popularity has won an election for U.S. Senate, governor, or president in Pennsylvania. Not one. That Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are the most unpopular candidates ever to run for president is one more example of how unusual and unpredictable this campaign is and will be.
There are limits to polling in primaries (The Philadelphia Inquirer, 5/18/2016)
There are lies, damned lies, and statistics, as the saying goes. Then there are polls, the most damnable source of statistics, if you believe their critics.
"Trump effect" on Reporting of Campaign (The Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/22/2016)
It was widely reported that Pennsylvania voters were switching to the Republican Party in large numbers. News reports at the end of March told us that nearly 215,000 voters switched parties in 2016 and most of them, about 125,000, had registered Republican.
Pa. Ballot Question is Designed to Confuse (The Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/1/2016)
Ballot initiatives are among the purest exercises in democracy we have. In Pennsylvania, legislators place a policy question on the ballot and citizens vote on whether they favor or oppose it. Clear and simple, right?
Policy Failures Fuel Pa. Budget Impasse (The Philadelphia Inquirer, 3/16/2016)
Why don't we have a state budget? The answer is neither short nor simple. Pennsylvania's budget impasse is the direct result of three state policy failures: the failure to find the reliable funding sources that state government needs to operate, the failure to reduce the spending growth that existing laws require, and the failure to support reforms that make elections more competitive.
A Thriving Downtown is Vital, but so is Investing in People, (LNP, 8/23/2015)
To most visitors downtown, the City of Lancaster is a busy, growing and modern place. Lancaster has become such a treasure that even The New York Times recommends it.
But while celebrating the good that a thriving downtown provides, we also need to be careful that Lancaster’s vibrant center does not blind us to the low wages, rising rents, increasing poverty and high unemployment faced by the many city residents who do not live downtown.
Are Presidential Polls Skewed? (The Lancaster Intelligencer-Journal, 10/28/2012)
There has been no shortage of targets for partisans of all persuasions this election season. But one group has come under fire from all sides: pollsters, who in these polarized times have become the political equivalent of lawyers."