Political scientist explains how states serve as a 'wrecking ball clearing a path for Trumpism'

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

50% : In the period Grumbach's data covers, from 2000 to 2018, there was significant change in public opinion regarding marijuana legalization and LGBTQ rights that was reflected in state legislation.
50% : Before the Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in all states, more progressive states started implementing marriage equality.
48% : The fact that states were allowed to reject Medicaid expansion, even though the federal government is paying for it through the Affordable Care Act, means that people who are working poor, but may not have children do not have access to Medicaid in these states, which worsens COVID relief, and COVID-based health care.
48% :Note that the issues where you do see a lot of responsiveness are those that have seen big changes in public opinion, like on marijuana.
43% : But right now we're seeing some states banning abortion despite no real change in public opinion or, if anything, an increase in support for legal abortion over time.
40% : One finding I have in the book is that criminal justice policy, unlike other policy areas like abortion rights, the minimum wage, labor relations, health insurance or climate change -- all of those areas are really polarized by party.
38% : It's really hard to win elections saying, "Let's cut taxes for billionaires."
33% : But on other issues where you see states take hugely important policy changes over the past generation -- on taxes, or on labor relations, where in the Midwest they totally dismantled labor unions, for example -- you actually don't see people suddenly saying, "Oh, I really hate unions."

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