Seth Masket

Bernie Sanders is a first choice for many Democratic activists, but if he's not one's top choice, he usually isn't considered an option.

By looking at which campaigns experienced staffers choose to work for, one can see which candidates the party is seriously signaling as potential nominees.

To avoid allegations of favoritism, the DNC debate line-ups were randomized—to the benefit, or detriment, of Elizabeth Warren, depending on who you ask.

As Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats weigh the potential electoral risks of beginning impeachment proceedings, they must also consider the risks of not doing so.

States like Colorado have polarized—but productive—legislatures. Term limits and relatively weak lobbying interests help explain the phenomenon.

It's important to not nominate a sure loser, but, historically, "electability" arguments have been used to discourage women and minorities from running.

As Democrats weigh the benefits of impeachment following the release of the Mueller report, here's what history says about the arguments for or against proceeding.

Data since the 2016 election shows Democrats are still divided.

Long campaigns cause candidates to prioritize fundraising, but shorter ones favor party-line voting.

A profile of John Hickenlooper demonstrates how journalism that focuses on candidates' charisma often makes incorrect assumptions, and favors white male politicians.

President Donald Trump is showing us how norms were always just guidelines.

The current crop of frontrunners in the 2020 Democratic primary show the homogenization of the left's views on combating gun violence.

It's the conditions of the economy, the popularity of the incumbent party, and the state of foreign relations that really affect a presidential nominee's chances—not their race or gender.

Trump's campaign scandals ultimately benefited him in the 2016 election. That won't be the case in 2020.

The Democrats' new randomized debate plan is a gold mine for campaign researchers.

The magazine's demise signals the further erosion of conservatism as a coherent ideology—and its replacement by a Trump personality cult.

California will now be using early voting, which means Democrats in the state will be able to participate in the presidential nomination process around the same time as Iowa caucus-goers.

The elder Bush won an election that was hard to win, and lost one that was hard to lose. How does this happen?

After some striking defeats in the mid-term elections, California's Republican leadership must recalibrate.

Here's what that means for policymaking in the U.S.

The campaign to make sense of the mid-term elections will begin almost the moment the polls close on Tuesday, and it will have a substantial effect on 2020.

Be wary of political parties' dismissal of impeachment as the invocation of a constitutional crisis.

In Colorado, two ballot initiatives in the upcoming election would change the process by which the state draws up its districts. But would such reform really change anything?

The ascendence of Brett Kavanaugh levied considerable damage to all three branches of government.

Activism matters, for one.

It might seem like an extreme move, but it wouldn't be unprecedented.

When it comes to presidential scandals, is all press really good press?

Lessons from the Nixon years.

Might the New York Times piece have been written by a disgruntled youngster in the Trump administration?

The late senator's funeral had an unspoken but vital message for those who still wield power: to not wait until your time is up to speak out.

Democrats understand the last election determines how the party prepares for the next one.

As we saw following Ronald Reagan's drubbing of Walter Mondale, the losing party will often try to define their defeat in a way that helps shape future strategy.

There are a few points that Democrats uncomfortable with Nanci Pelosi's leadership might want to consider before urging her to retire.

Rather than being honest about Russian influence in 2016, Republican leaders are trying to enhance the legitimacy of their own president and party.

Dissecting Bret Stephens' (suspect) strategic advice to Democrats looking to take on Trump in 2020.

In the short term, no.

Political science professors are increasingly being forced to choose which form of inclusivity to prioritize. That decision will have a large impact on the face of higher education for decades to come.

Republicans are settling in to be the minority party in power for many years to come, and they are increasingly testing many voters' faith in the system.

Recent goings-on at the Supreme Court threaten to put into question the legitimacy of our political institutions.

While the president has floundered on issues like health care and gun rights, he's been consistent on his belief in the need for an immigration crackdown.

We'll know in a few months whether Democratic leaders have lost control of their party.

To get a sense of the quandary facing the Democratic Party, look back two centuries, to the plight of the short-lived National Republican Party.

When it comes to standing up against the NFL's new protest policy, many Democratic leaders have opted for passivity. But what if the importance of the middle ground has been substantially overstated?

Some believe Democrats are now hampered by the same lack of coordination that gave Republicans a Trump nomination in 2016. But it's simply too soon to make that claim.

Colorado's legislature had a productive year. But, because of the state's term limits, that output probably won't last.

Colorado is attempting an unusual style of primary election next month: allowing unaffiliated voters to choose which primary they'd like to vote in. What does that mean for politics in the Centennial State?

In most states, primary elections make official just who gets to call themselves the Democratic or Republican nominee. But that doesn't mean party leaders have to be neutral in those contests.

Sharp divisions between labor unions and reformers threaten to tear apart the Democratic Party in the Centennial State.

There's not been a sudden spike in sexual harassment within our state legislatures; this has been going on for decades. And professors who help send students to statehouse internships need to be mindful of that fact.

Tracking the events in state legislatures and city councils requires skilled beat reporters. They're becoming an increasingly rare breed.