Matters of Policy & Politics

Saints, Sinners, and Salvageables: Grading Election Integrity | Ben Ginsberg and Bill Whalen | Hoover Institution

After 2020’s contentious election, how well did America’s latest experiment in democracy fare? Ben Ginsberg, the Hoover Institution’s Volker Distinguished Visiting Fellow and a preeminent authority on election law, discusses why election deniers were rejected by voters in high-stakes races nationwide and offers a few thoughts on how to reform the voting process to improve the public’s trust in election outcomes. 

The “Wave” That Wasn’t: What Data Says About Midterm Results | David Brady, Douglas Rivers, and Bill Whalen | Hoover Institution

Why didn’t the anticipated “red wave” appear and what do last week’s results suggest about political polarization and the path moving forward for America’s two political parties? David Brady and Douglas Rivers, Hoover Institution senior fellows and Stanford University political scientists who regularly survey America’s electorate, offer a data dive into what led to GOP underachievement in this year’s midterm vote.

Should California Hire Tom & Gisele’s Attorneys? | Lee Ohanian and Bill Whalen | Hoover Institution

California’s election returns slowly trickle in (no surprise there), with the Golden State being the wildcard in terms of control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Hoover senior fellow Lee Ohanian and distinguished policy fellow Bill Whalen, both contributors to Hoover’s “California on Your Mind” web channel, join Hoover senior writer Jonathan Movroydis to discuss the latest in the Golden State, including election winners and losers, plus a whimsical look at what would be “a very expensive divorce” should California seriously explore secession from the union.

Matters of Policy & Politics: A Midterm Preview | David Brady, Douglas Rivers, and Bill Whalen | Hoover Institution

A potentially good night for Republicans, whom to blame on the Democratic side should the party lose control of half, if not all, of Congress, plus what are voters signaling? David Brady and Douglas Rivers, Hoover Institution senior fellows and Stanford University political scientists, preview what may be in store for America come Election Day, including the nuances of “wave” forecasts, voters’ concerns, and effective messaging.

Saints, Sinners, and Salvageables: Your Election Night Roadmap | Ben Ginsberg and Bill Whalen | Hoover Institution

What to watch for in the midterm election returns—and the chances that the battle for Congress goes into overtime thanks to runoffs, slow vote counts, and legal challenges. Hoover Institution visiting fellow Ben Ginsberg, a veteran campaign attorney and preeminent authority on election law, highlights key competitive races nationwide and how states differ in their approaches to voting and vote tallying. 

Saints, Sinners, and Salvageables: The State of the Election, the Saliency of Election Denial

As polls show the economy and crime toping the charts of voter concerns (with abortion as a wild card), what about the hangover from the 2020 election and the January 6 assault on democracy? Hoover Institution visiting fellow Ben Ginsberg, a veteran campaign attorney and preeminent authority on election law, interviews Washington Post national reporter Amy Gardner and political strategist Matt Rhoades on the current campaign landscape, plus how the Left and the Right are ginning up their respective bases in America’s battleground states. 

Matters Of Policy & Politics: No Bullet Train, No Test Scores, No Debates . . . But Plenty of Jane Fonda | Hoover Institution

California’s high-speed rail project grows ever more quizzical, the Golden State’s housing market slumps, and Sacramento’s Educrats seem in no rush to release K-12 test scores. Hoover senior fellow Lee Ohanian and distinguished policy fellow Bill Whalen, both contributors to Hoover’s “California on Your Mind” web channel, join Hoover senior writer Jonathan Movroydis to discuss the latest in the Golden State, including a lack of candidates’ debates this fall and the emergence of actress/activist Jane Fonda as a voice for more taxes on California’s wealthy.

Saints, Sinners and Salvageables: Tackling the Crisis of Confidence in Elections | Ben Ginsberg | Hoover Institution

How to remove distrust and negative partisanship – the politics of maximum fear and maximum blame – from America’s voting population? Hoover Institution visiting fellow Ben Ginsberg, a veteran campaign attorney and preeminent authority on election law, interviews Citizen Data CEO Mindy Finn on what her findings suggest in how to re-instill confidence in an electorate consisting of (in her words) democracy “defenders,” “inhibitors,” and “shifters.”

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya: Is COVID Done . . . Or Is the Public Done with COVID? | Hoover Institution

President Biden’s assertion that the pandemic has ended notwithstanding, a new COVID wave seems likely during the holiday season. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a Hoover senior fellow and Stanford University professor of medicine and epidemiological researcher, assesses the public’s appetite for a new round of restrictions as well as the ramifications of a new California law cracking down on medical “misinformation.” Dr. Bhattacharya also talks about the First Amendment implications of a lawsuit in federal court involving public-health dissenters, the Biden Administration officials, and media platforms.

Saints, Sinners, and Salvageables: Election Safeguards—Stopping the Starting of Steals

What to do about the public’s eroding faith in elections and a lack of confidence in ballot tallies? Hoover Institution visiting fellow Ben Ginsberg, a preeminent authority on election law, interviews Neal Kelley, former registrar of voters for California’s Orange County, on safeguards in place at the county level to deter election fraud and suggested improvements in the casting and counting of votes