Opinion Weekend
May 23-24, 2026
The Week That Broke Trump’s Control Over Congress The Wall Street Journal [unlocked] For more than a year, Republican senators had largely been deferential to Trump’s wishes—from backing contentious cabinet nominees to giving the president free rein on tariffs and the Iran war. This week, they revolted en masse, fed up with Trump’s insistence on settling personal scores and pursuing pet projects at the expense of their legislative agenda.... A new Wall Street Journal poll found Democrats leading Republicans, 48% to 40%, in a congressional ballot measuring which party is favored to lead the next Congress.
CBS News poll finds most Americans doubt U.S. government will ensure AI is used appropriately Jennifer De Pinto, CBS News Most Americans continue to believe AI will reduce the number of jobs in the U.S., but that's not their only AI concern. They are also skeptical about whether the U.S. government will implement a policy to ensure the technology is used appropriately.
Consumers appear worried that inflation will increase and proliferate beyond fuel prices Joanne Hsu, University of Michigan Consumer sentiment fell for the third straight month as supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz continue to boost gasoline prices. Sentiment is now just below the previous historical trough seen in June 2022. The cost of living continues to be a first-order concern, with 57% of consumers spontaneously mentioning that high prices were eroding their personal finances, up from 50% last month.
Surveys of Consumers: National Estimates Continue to Align with Views of Independents Joanne Hsu, University of Michigan In 2017, the Surveys of Consumers began measuring self-reported political affiliation on a continuous basis, and since then has consistently monitored and reported on the political divide in views of the economy.... Sentiment readings nationally (both on a level and trend basis) continue to be fully aligned with the views of independents.
Americans Want Major Change, But Aren’t Sure if Leaders Can Deliver Julie Alderman Boudreau, Navigator Research This Navigator Research report covers how Americans feel about democracy, institutions, and systems and whether anyone can fix them.
Colbert, courage and capitulation Michael Wagner (The University of Wisconsin), Can We Still Govern? New data show bipartisan opposition to government leaning on TV networks and universities
Pay Any Price? Measuring Americans’ Willingness-to-Pay for Sanctions on Russia and China Paul Musgrave (Georgetown University Qatar), Foreign Policy Analysis Economic sanctions appear to be an inexpensive means for wealthy countries to punish or coerce targets. Not all sanctions are, or will be, cheap, however. I demonstrate how contingent valuation techniques provide better estimates of the relationship between sanctions cost and public support for sanctions.
