Opinion Today
December 31, 2025
Negativity toward political parties and politicians is pervasive and especially sharp among Democrats Taylor Orth, YouGov Democrats are more likely than Republicans to be critical of both their own party's congressional leadership and that of the opposing party. Overall American opinion of both parties in Congress is largely negative and has become more negative over the past year.
Distrust of elites, experts, and the establishment is widespread among Americans Taylor Orth, YouGov Democrats believe government institutions are necessary to effectively address problems; Republicans think government decisions should be driven more by common sense than by expert analysis.
Support for military aid to Ukraine is waning again Taylor Orth, YouGov Many Americans believe neither Russia nor Ukraine is winning the war between them. Views on U.S. military aid to Ukraine are divided, though a growing share of Americans support reducing or stopping aid entirely. More disapprove than approve of Trump's handling of the conflict.
Americans' economic expectations of better things hit a low while anticipation of more of the same peaks Carl Bialik, YouGov Americans hit a 2025 low at the end of the year for their likelihood of expecting their household finances to be better in a year. That coincides with a high in the share who expect things to be about as they are now.
What Americans think are the best majors for students entering college today: nursing and engineering Jamie Ballard, YouGov A new YouGov survey on college majors finds that many Americans see engineering, health care, and computer science as good fields for students picking a major.
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Gallup Vault: Futurecasting 2025 Had Mixed Results Mary Claire Evans and Lydia Saad, Gallup In 1998, Gallup conducted a special survey in partnership with USA Today to learn what Americans thought life would be like in the distant-sounding year of 2025.
North Dakota pride, satisfaction sky high Michael Standaert, North Dakota News Cooperative North Dakotans are overwhelmingly proud of their state and satisfied with their lives, with pride rooted in safety, community and faith, the latest North Dakota Poll commissioned by the North Dakota News Cooperative shows. Did Trump voters vote for deporting every undocumented immigrant? Philip Bump I’ll cut to the chase: No.
11 Data Points and Discoveries That Stuck With Us in 2025 The Upshot Staff, New York Times [unlocked] Some of our favorite charts, documents, queries and calculations from the past year.
Why Does Trump Get Away With It? Thomas B. Edsall, New York Times [unlocked] How does Trump get away with doing things, repeatedly, that would have been disastrous for previous presidents — Republican and Democratic? In thinking about this question, I put together a long and constantly growing list of answers. They are not mutually exclusive but collectively complementary. Together, they are the ingredients for a stew of corruption. America’s 25 Years of Decline William A. Galston, Wall Street Journal [unlocked] Misgovernment has been the watchword for the first quarter of the 21st century. Trump Upended the Federal Government. The Full Scope of the Impact Is Still Unclear. Eileen Sullivan, New York Times [unlocked] President Trump achieved his goal of shrinking the work force. But many current and former officials say the government is less dependable and efficient than it was a year ago. The Separation: Inside the Unraveling U.S.-Ukraine Partnership Adam Entous, New York Times [unlocked] As President Trump sought a peace deal and Vladimir V. Putin sought victory, factions in the White House and Pentagon bled the Ukrainian war effort. The Lows of the Trump Administration’s Climate Onslaught Mark Gongloff, Bloomberg Opinion [unlocked] The government rolled back progress on the environment in at least 180 ways in 2025, and it’s just getting started. Four big things Congress did in 2025 — and how they could affect you Sahil Kapur, NBC News Republicans extended Trump's tax cuts, boosted spending for the Pentagon and immigration enforcement, repealed a record number of regulations and changed the Senate. The Most Exciting Races are Underway Jennifer Rubin, The Contrarian The 2026 midterms will be the most important of our lifetimes. The outcome will determine whether Donald Trump’s reign of terror continues unchecked, who will play critical roles in securing the 2028 presidential election, and which Democrats will be best positioned for the 2028 presidential race. After quiet off-year elections, Democrats renew worries about Trump interfering in the midterms Nicholas Riccardi, Associated Press If history is a guide, Republicans stand a good chance of losing control of the House of Representatives in 2026. They have just a slim majority in the chamber, and the incumbent party usually gives up seats in midterm elections. President Donald Trump, whose loss of the House halfway through his first term led to two impeachments, is trying to keep history from repeating — and doing so in ways his opponents say are intended to manipulate next year’s election landscape.
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PLAYLIST
Ron Brownstein on What’s Ahead in 2026—and in 2028 Conversations with Bill Kristol On the state of our politics entering an election year.
How retirements and redistricting could impact the 2026 midterms PBS News Hour The end of 2025 brings us to the beginning of a midterm election year. That means questions about whether power will shift in Washington. Dozens of members of Congress are heading toward the exit and a handful of states are shaking up their political maps to try to lock in partisan gains. Lisa Desjardins breaks down the numbers.
'He is quite the popular dude': Enten on Zohran Mamdani's approval CNN CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten runs the numbers on Zohran Mamdani's approval ratings among New Yorkers.
Year In Review: The Impact Of Project 2025 The NPR Politics Podcast Today, we look at how Project 2025, a document published by the Heritage Foundation to outline policy objectives in a Republican administration taking office in 2025, has influenced the Trump administration's approach to governance.
Inside Trump’s Second-Term Takeover of the Justice Department Wall Street Journal Loyal aides allowed President Trump to bypass norms inside the Department of Justice and punish political enemies. As part of our video series on Trump’s second term, The Wall Street Journal’s Sadie Gurman explains how it's changing law enforcement on the ground.