Dec 4, 2019

Pew: More Republicans than Democrats support expanding presidential power

The president's podium. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

26% of Americans agree that presidents could more effectively address the country's problems if they did not have to worry about Congress or the courts, a Pew poll found. Of the 26%, a simple majority identified as Republican.

Why it matters: The share of Republicans who believe presidents could be more effective if they did not have to consider the other branches of government has increased 16 percentage points since last year, from 27% to 43%.

By the numbers: Democrats’ views on expanding executive power has not significantly changed over the past year. 82% of Democrats said it would be too risky to give presidents more power, while just 16% said presidents would be more effective without Congress and the courts.

  • Overall, 66% of those surveyed said it's too risky to give presidents more power, down from 76% in 2018. This means the public overall is more open to giving the executive more power.

Of note: Both parties' opinions about presidential power shifted after Donald Trump’s election. The share of Democrats who said it would be too risky to give presidents more power shifted from from 66% in 2016 to 82% in 2019.

  • The share of Republicans who said it would be dangerous fell from 82% in 2016 to 51% in 2019.

Methodology: This survey is based on telephone interviews conducted between July 10-15, 2019, among 1,502 adults, 18 years of age or older, and has a margin of error of +/- 3%.

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World coronavirus updates

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Axios Visuals

Brazil on Monday recorded for the first time more deaths from the novel coronavirus in a single day than the United States, Reuters notes. Brazil reported 807 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, compared to 620 in the U.S. for the same period.

By the numbers: Almost 5.5 million people have tested positive for the virus as of Monday, and more than 2.2 million have recovered. The U.S. has reported the most cases in the world (over 1.6 million from 14.6 million tests). The U.K. is reporting over 36,900 deaths from the coronavirus — the most fatalities outside the U.S.

Go deeper (2 min. read)ArrowUpdated 35 mins ago - Health

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 8:30 p.m. ET: 5,490,954 — Total deaths: 345,962 — Total recoveries — 2,228,915 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 8:30 p.m. ET: 1,662,250 — Total deaths: 98,218 — Total recoveries: 379,157 — Total tested: 14,604,942 — Map.
  3. World: Italy reports lowest number of new cases since February — Ireland reports no new coronavirus deaths on Monday for the first time since March 21 — WHO suspends trial of hydroxychloroquine over safety concerns.
  4. 2020: Trump threatens to move Republican convention from North Carolina — Joe Biden makes first public appearance in two months.
  5. Public health: Officials are urging Americans to wear masks over Memorial Day.
  6. Economy: New York stock exchange to reopen its floor on Tuesday — White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett says it's possible the unemployment rate could still be in double digits by November's election — Charities refocus their efforts to fill gaps left by government.
  7. What should I do? Hydroxychloroquine questions answered — Traveling, asthma, dishes, disinfectants and being contagious — Masks, lending books and self-isolating — Exercise, laundry, what counts as soap — Pets, moving and personal health — Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — How to minimize your risk.
  8. Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it, the right mask to wear.

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Updated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

In photos: Authorities issue warning as Americans venture out for Memorial Day weekend

Ocean City in New Jersey on May 25. Photo: Donald Kravitz/Getty Images

Authorities urged Americans to maintain social distancing and wear masks to protect against the spread of the novel coronavirus amid reports of packed beaches and bars during the Memorial Day weekend.

Details: Law enforcement stepped up beach patrols, and there were crowded scenes in several places, notably at Lake of the Ozarks bars in Missouri and at Daytona Beach and on the Gulf Coast in Florida, per AP. Police dispersed crowds in some places, ABC notes. But many Americans did take precautions against COVID-19 as they ventured outside for the long weekend, some three months after the pandemic began in the U.S.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)ArrowUpdated 2 hours ago - Health