Issues
Alaska’s Special Election: A Good Omen for Ranked Choice Voting?
September 19, 2022
From the Editors
RCV Lessons for Maine and Nevada from The Last Frontier
Alaska’s Ranked Choice System: More Moderate, Broadly Appealing Candidates?
Alaska’s Ranked Choice System: Less Negative Campaigning?
Comparing and Contrasting Maine’s Ranked Choice Voting System
What Are Nevadans Thinking of RCV as The Ballot Vote Nears?
Poll Worth Pondering
Quote Worth Quoting
Partners in Purple
Two party California, both parties Democratic?
July 11, 2022
From the Editors
Shades of Blue Within the Golden State
Primary results through a factional lens
Highlights & Insights from The Purple Principle
We spoke with Leon Panetta, Kristin Olsen, and Andrew Heaton
California’s one-party system
Indies fare poorly in 2022 one-party, two-faction primaries
Some deep blue political context
Economic inequality
Some deep blue economic context
Partners in Purple
Our Polarizing Primaries: Georgia Holds a Peach of a Primary
May 31, 2022
From the Editors
As Goes Georgia…
All Politics is Personal
Highlights & Insights from The Purple Principle
Check out our interview with three experts on Georgia politics
All Purple Politics is National, Thus Well-Funded
Primaries: Everything & The Only Thing (in Non Competitive Districts)
Partners in Purple
Our Polarizing Primaries: Pennsylvania & North Carolina
May 24, 2022
From the Editors
Pennsylvania & North Carolina In Partial Rear View; Georgia Just Up Ahead
Highlights & Insights from The Purple Principle
A look back at our interview with former PA Congressman Jason Altmire
Pennsylvania: “Virtue, Liberty, and Independence” – and Closed Primaries
Governor’s Race: The GOP Goes Full Wacko
Another US Senate Seat Shifts, Whether Left or Right
In More Moderate, Less Polar News
North Carolina: Senate Toss-up Formed; House Clown Jettisoned
Celebrity, with Notoriety, Has Its Limits
Other Primary Results, Polar and Not So Polar
Partners in Purple
Our Polarizing Primaries: Ohio & Indiana
May 17, 2022
From the Editors
The Purple Principle Report will examine our 2022 primaries, starting with Indiana and Ohio
Highlights & Insights from The Purple Principle
A look back at our interview with Sarah Longwell
Preview our episode featuring Charles Bullock
Ohio: All Eyes on Buckeyes
Governor’s Race: Aging Gracefully Like Fine DeWine?
Ohio GOP Senate Primary: Vance Advances; Sanity Retreats
Broadly Appealing Democratic Senate Candidate?
Ohio House Primaries
Gerrymandering Update: We the Politicians
Minority Rule at the Ballot Box
Indiana: Who Among the Hoosiers?
US Senate Primary: Silent Standoff
Gerrymandering Update
State Level Legislation: Lots of Polarization; Some Moderation; Even Some Bipartisanship
Partners in Purple
Is Texas the Future of America?
April 18, 2022
From the Editors
Everything’s Bigger, More Complicated and Influential in Texas
Vast, Varied, & Pivotal: The 23rd Congressional District
Interview highlights with former Congressman Will Hurd
Immigration in Texas
Is South Texas Turning GOP?
Interview highlights with Dr. Sharon Navarro
Latino and Latina political shifts
Not a Monolith: Diversity Among Latino Voters & Politicians
Interview highlights with Dr. Henry Cisneros
Racial and ethnic diversity in Congress
Partners in Purple
Issue 12
Texas Identity and the Forces of Polarization
March 1, 2022
From the Editors
Is the Long Star State falling into line?
Texas Demography: Changing and Diversifying
Texas continues to be one of the fastest-growing states in the country.
Podcast Highlights from our Texas State Series
In our new state series, The Purple Principle asks several notable “Texperts” if the powerful and long-held Texan identity is weakening under hyperpartisanship and polarization.
What We’re Reading
A curated selection of the best news, polls, books, and articles about Texas politics and identity
Partners in Purple
Texas Trivia
Issue 11
Partisanship as Social Identity
December 10, 2021
From the Editors
The politics that ate America (identities and all)
Partisanship & Identity in History
The Big Identity Sort
Highlights & Insights from The Purple Principle
Thomas Edsall on identity politics
Abigail Marsh on political sorting
Jay Van Bavel on the depth of cult identification
What We’re Reading
Our favorite books, polls, and articles exploring the causes and consequences of partisanship as social identity.
Partners in Purple
Issue 10
Of Packs, Cracks, & Quacks: A New Round of Gerrymandering Takes Shape
October 8, 2021
From the Editors
Gerrymandering vs. the voters
How does gerrymandering work?
Highlights & Insights from The Purple Principle
Trevor Potter on redistricting
Dr. Charles Wheelan on gerrymandering and polarization
Former Congressman Jason Altmire (D-PA) on primaries
Independent commissions & looming legal challenges
What we’re reading
Our favorite polls, articles, and digital resources addressing gerrymandering today.
Partners in Purple
We’ve highlighted several non-partisan organizations working hard to address the polarizing effects of gerrymandering today.
Issue 09
A Civics Renaissance?
September 14, 2021
From the Editors
US civics education: Real renaissance or political moment?
What is, and is not, civics?
A brief history of civics education
50 versions of civics ed
Civics today
Highlights & Insights from The Purple Principle
Hannah McCarthy & Nick Capodice of Civics 101 podcast
NH legislator Michael Moffett
Dr. Laura Hammack, Indiana school superintendent
Civics in the Pipeline
A look at recent state efforts to raise their civics game
Partners in Purple
We’ve highlighted several organizations working hard to promote civics education across the country
Issue 08
Partisan Politics & Crumbling Infrastructure
August 16, 2021
From the Editors
A purple analysis of the Senate compromise
Media Analysis
Skeptical media before and after; partisan throughout
Highlights & Insights from The Purple Principle
Charles Wheelan of Unite America on the power of a revitalized political center
Richard Arenberg, former Senate staffer, on the dangers of filibuster reform
Our Crumbling Infrastructure
A brief history of wear, tear, and rust
Wear, tear, & congressional action
The House is set to pounce
What We’re Reading
Our favorite books and research addressing infrastructure and partisanship
Partner in Purple
The Bipartisan Policy Center develops rigorous bipartisan solutions to America’s most pressing policy issues
Issue 07
Hollywood’s Fictional Presidents & the Challenges of a Polarized Audience
July 15, 2021
From the Editors
Primetime for an independent president
Fictional US Presidents in film & TV
Highlights & Insights from The Purple Principle
From our four-part mini series, "Hollywood Presidents for a Partisan Nation”
What we’re reading
Our favorite polls, articles, and research about fictional presidents and polarization
Partner in Purple
The Miller Center specializes in presidential scholarship, public policy, and political history
Issue 06
No Quick, Simple Fixes for Polarization
June 25, 2021
From the Editors
No quick, simple fixes for polarization
Highlights & Insights from The Purple Principle
Dr. Peter Coleman on The Way Out
Dr. Chris Bail on the Social Media Prism
What we’re reading
Our favorite polls, articles, and digital resources about polarization
A look back at the Purple Principle’s first year
Partner in Purple
FairVote advances voting reforms that make democracy more functional and representative
Issue 05
The Magic of Misinformation, Conspiracies, and Cults
June 2, 2021
From the Editors
The magic of misinformation, conspiracies, and cults
Is the GOP turning into a cult?
Highlights & Insights from The Purple Principle
Nick Andert & Daniel Clark on their documentary “Behind the Curve”
Rachel Bernstein, therapist and host of Indoctrination
What we’re reading
Our favorite polls, articles, and digital resources about hyperpartisanship, cults, and conspiracies
Partner in Purple
The Network Contagion Institute tracks misinformation, manipulation, and hate across social media
Issue 04
Politics as Duopoly
April 21, 2021
From the Editors
Politics as duopoly; government as gridlock
Data insights into the politics industry
Highlights & Insights from The Purple Principle
Adam Jentleson, author of Kill Switch and former Senate staffer Richard Arenberg on the filibuster
Katherine Gehl on the politics industry
What we’re reading
Our favorite polls, articles, and digital resources about political gridlock and partisanship
Partner in Purple
The Institute for Political Innovation, founded by Katherine Gehl, is a cross-partisan group that seeks to restore competition and accountability to politics
Issue 03
The Filibuster & Polarization
April 6, 2021
From the Editors
The filibuster and polarization: Symptom, cause, or cure?
Senators across the political spectrum assess the filibuster
Highlights & Insights from The Purple Principle
Jillian Youngblood of Civic Genius on congressional polarization
Richard Arenberg, former Senate staffer, on the need to preserve the filibuster
What we’re reading
Our favorite polls, articles, and digital resources about the political battle over the filibuster
Partner in Purple
Unite America recently published The Primary Problem
Issue 02
COVID Relief, Yes. But Compromise, No.
March 16, 2021
From the Editors
COVID relief, yes. But compromise, no
Highlights & Insights from The Purple Principle
Dr. Ryan Enos on the geography of polarization
What we’re reading
Our favorite polls, articles, and digital resources about polarization and hyperpartisanship
Partner in Purple
More in Common is an international research and advocacy organization that examines polarization and political divisions
Issue 01
Introducing the Purple Principle Report
March 4, 2021
From the Editors
Highlights & Insights from The Purple Principle
Dr. Julian Zelizer, author of Burning Down the House
What we’re reading
Our favorite polls, articles, and digital resources about polarization and hyperpartisanship
Partner in Purple
Civic Genius holds Citizen Panels to bring participants together from across the political spectrum