Jul 20, 2017

State legislatures riding a Republican wave

With gridlock in Washington, state legislatures are becoming engines of policy. However, data from an ideological measure by FiscalNote shows us the people drafting those policies haven't gotten more partisan, despite Republicans gaining ground.

Expand chart

Data: FiscalNote; Chart: Chris Canipe / Axios

This data was compiled by FiscalNote, a provider of government relationship management software, which used an algorithm to calculate an ideological score for roughly 14,000 of more than 18,000 state lawmakers that have served in the U.S. since 2002. The ideological score is determined by comparing an individual lawmaker's votes to their colleagues within their own party. A lawmaker needs to have participated in at least 15 to 20 non-unanimous votes in order to have a calculable score.

What the data shows: Democrats are a bit more liberal (-.81 in 1992, -.90 in 2017) and Republicans are a bit more conservative (-.81 in 1992, -.90 in 2017), but the average hasn't moved a whole lot.

Go deeper

Barak Ravid, author of from Tel Aviv
1 hour ago - World

U.S. policy shift will allow taxpayer funding for projects in West Bank settlements

Friedman (L) with Netanyahu. Photo: Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. and Israel will announce tomorrow that they are expanding three agreements on scientific cooperation to include Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Israeli and U.S. officials tell me.

Why it matters: This is a substantial policy shift for the U.S., which did not previously allow its taxpayers' money to be spent in the Israeli settlements.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Axios
Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Politics: Obama: Trump is "jealous of COVID's media coverage" — Axios-Ipsos poll: Federal response has only gotten worse.
  2. Health: Hospitals face a crush — 13 states set single-day case records last week.
  3. Business: Winter threat spurs new surge of startup activity.
  4. Media: Pandemic causes TV providers to lose the most subscribers ever.
  5. States: Nearly two dozen Minnesota cases traced to three Trump campaign events.
  6. World: Putin mandates face masks.
Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Oriana Gonzalez
2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

McConnell: Confirming Amy Coney Barrett will help GOP retain Senate

Photo: Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) expressed no regrets about Judge Amy Coney Barrett's controversial confirmation, telling Politico in an interview that he believes the decision to place her on the Supreme Court just a week before the election will help Republicans retain the Senate.

Why it matters: With a week to go until Election Day, many Republicans are concerned that President Trump's unpopularity could cost them the Senate. McConnell has long viewed the transformation of the federal judiciary through the confirmation of young conservative judges as his defining legacy.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow