Maybe we’ll look back on October as the beginning of the end — As Donald Trump’s political position grows increasingly precarious, Republicans in Congress look more frazzled by the day. On Wednesday, in an apparent effort to run interference for the president, a group of about 20 Republican House members barged into a bipartisan hearing room demanding they be allowed to participate in…

Why the White House is incapable of stopping key figures from the Ukraine scandal from testifying before Congress — The cage match between Donald Trump and Democrats in Congress is getting bloodier by the day — and as public opinion shifts in their favor, it’s starting to look more like Democrats might actually have a shot at finally landing some blows. For months, the administration has simply refused to…

I testified before Congress on partisan civility. Here was my advice. — Last week, I spoke before lawmakers at a hearing held by the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress. As a veteran political scientist, my congressional testimony focused on polarization: why Congress is more divided than ever, and how politicians might bridge this partisan gap. In my academic career…

The best way to combat wild conspiracy theories is through media literacy — It seems like Americans are increasingly skeptical of the media, and it’s easy to see why. …

Strength in numbers could help a woman take the Democratic Party nomination in 2020 — There is a pretty decent chance a female candidate earns the Democratic Party nomination for the 2020 election. Those favorable odds are not due to one particular female candidate’s campaign; they’re owed to the fact that several women are running high-profile campaigns. …

To the surprise of no one, the former special counsel was unwilling to play into Democrats’ hands — Ever since Democrats won back the House in the 2018 elections, they have anticipated using their powers of subpoena and oversight to shine a light on the misdeeds of President Donald Trump. One of those opportunities came to fruition Wednesday as former special investigator Robert Mueller delivered testimony to the…

The conflict between Kamala Harris and Joe Biden revolves around whether or not it’s OK to compromise with political adversaries about racial justice — Two weeks after the first presidential debate, the debate around busing shows no signs of slowing down. Kamala Harris drew first blood during the first Democratic debate when she aggressively challenged Biden’s opposition to federally mandated busing in the 1970s. Biden is now backing down on his position and offering…

Viewers are more likely to walk away from the debates with opinions on who these candidates are as people — not as politicians — On Wednesday and Thursday, 20 of the 25 Democrats running for president will debate one another, 10 at a time. Each debate will last two hours and will be moderated by a panel of five journalists. …

Our lawmakers are too busy, too divided, and too slow to get anything done on the border — There’s a human rights atrocity happening along the United States’ southern border, and Congress continues to do practically nothing in response. Why? As unrest and violence in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador continues to drive families from their homes in search of greater security, the U.S. southern border has seen…