South Dakota
Upper Midwest US House Races Tighten in GOP Held Districts…But Is a Revolution Afoot?
A recent spate of polls tracking US House races in the Upper Midwest reflect what is perceived by most political analysts to be a nation-wide trend: GOP-held districts that were secure in 2004 now seem to be competitive or near…
Read MoreWho’s Looking On the Sunny Side of Life?
The Midwest…the heartland of America…where caustic coastal cynicism has not yet taken root and a hearty optimism about life in these United States still prevails. Syrupy, true, but that description about life in the Upper Midwest sounds like it might…
Read MoreAbortion Policy: An Upper Midwestern Snapshot
In South Dakota a landmark petitioned referendum will be on the ballot this November, asking voters whether or not to uphold the recently signed State House Bill’s abortion ban. Mid-summer polling on the referendum—which does not provide exceptions for rape…
Read MoreBush Drag Not Affecting All Republicans
One of the greatest fears facing republican strategists in the 2006 election is that the decline in George W. Bush’s approval ratings during the past few years is going to drag fellow republican incumbents down with him. While not…
Read MoreUS House Redistricting: Iowa Gets Lowest Marks for Proportionality
In the coming year or so states will begin to outline plans for the redistricting process that will go into effect in 2012 after the 2010 Census results. One way to measure the ‘success’ of these processes is to…
Read MoreBlue Dog Democrats Well Represented in Upper Midwest
The Blue Dog Democrats, though a dying breed, have a fair-sized delegation from the Upper Midwest. The Blue Dog coalition (originally formed in 1995) is a group of 37 conservative and moderate democrats who are seen as serious players in…
Read MoreSD Governor: History Is On Rounds’ Side…Unless…
South Dakota boasts a fascinating political history, peppered at the edges with contradictions in partisan preferences among its electorate. On the one hand, democrats have more than held their own in federal congressional statewide elections, winning 9 of the…
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