sunfoundation: Is Congress getting dumber, or just more plainspoken? Congress now speaks at almost a full grade level lower than it did just seven years ago, with the most conservative members of Congress speaking on average at the lowest grade level, according to a new Sunlight Foundation analysis of the Congressional Record using Capitol Words. Of course, what some might interpret as a dumbing down of Congress, others will see as more effective communications. And lawmakers of both parties still speak over the heads of the average American, who reads at between at 8th and 9th grade level. Today’s Congress collectively speaks at a 10.6 grade level, down from 11.5 in 2005. View image bigger.

sunfoundation:

Is Congress getting dumber, or just more plainspoken?

Congress now speaks at almost a full grade level lower than it did just seven years ago, with the most conservative members of Congress speaking on average at the lowest grade level, according to a new Sunlight Foundation analysis of the Congressional Record using Capitol Words.

Of course, what some might interpret as a dumbing down of Congress, others will see as more effective communications. And lawmakers of both parties still speak over the heads of the average American, who reads at between at 8th and 9th grade level.

Today’s Congress collectively speaks at a 10.6 grade level, down from 11.5 in 2005.

View image bigger.

govtoversight: Dear Super Committee: Defense Contractors are “Second to None” In Wasteful Spending The defense industry is forming a bloc to fight against cuts in national security spending. Here is a reminder that not only is the U.S. spending way more on defense than any other country, but that defense spending is also the source of a lot of government waste. Read about it on the POGO blog. Photo from Flickr user melanieburger.

govtoversight:

Dear Super Committee: Defense Contractors are “Second to None” In Wasteful Spending

The defense industry is forming a bloc to fight against cuts in national security spending. Here is a reminder that not only is the U.S. spending way more on defense than any other country, but that defense spending is also the source of a lot of government waste.

Read about it on the POGO blog.

Photo from Flickr user melanieburger.

ilyagerner: From Nate Silver: A new CNN poll finds that 55 percent of voters have a negative view of the Republican Party, tied for their second-highest unfavorable score since CNN began asking this question in 1992. […] The news for Democrats is not any better. Some 49 percent of voters now hold a negative view of the party, according to the poll. […] The combined unfavorable score for both parties — 104 percent — is also a record, and represents the first time that the figure has been above 100. Silver suggests “A credible independent bid for the presidency is always a long-shot, but might be more viable under these conditions,” but I don’t see why that would be. Who cares about the combined unfavorable score for both parties? If anything, that’s a sign of increased partisan polarization, which would make it more difficult for an independent candidate to make headway. An interesting trendline would be the percentage of Americans who simultaneously hold an unfavorable view of the Democrats and an unfavorable view of the Republicans, which is not a number that could not add up to over 100%.

ilyagerner:

From Nate Silver:

A new CNN poll finds that 55 percent of voters have a negative view of the Republican Party, tied for their second-highest unfavorable score since CNN began asking this question in 1992. […]

The news for Democrats is not any better. Some 49 percent of voters now hold a negative view of the party, according to the poll. […] The combined unfavorable score for both parties — 104 percent — is also a record, and represents the first time that the figure has been above 100.

Silver suggests “A credible independent bid for the presidency is always a long-shot, but might be more viable under these conditions,” but I don’t see why that would be. Who cares about the combined unfavorable score for both parties? If anything, that’s a sign of increased partisan polarization, which would make it more difficult for an independent candidate to make headway. An interesting trendline would be the percentage of Americans who simultaneously hold an unfavorable view of the Democrats and an unfavorable view of the Republicans, which is not a number that could not add up to over 100%.

ragbag: political ages i didn’t make this chart because i wanted to prove a point or crack some really hilarious joke. i made it simply because (after an email exchange with an anonymous insider) i wanted to see what it would look like and if i would be able to spot trends. in the end, i shall leave the trendspotting to the pundits because my knowledge of political history pretty much ends in the late 1800’s. but here are some odd items that my untrained eye has detected: during the reagan adminstration: the president and supreme court were the oldest that they have ever been in modern times while the congress and the u.s. population were the youngest. generally, supreme court justices are the older than any other senior members of government which makes sense because they get the gig for life and only usually land it late in their career. the president is usually older than congress but not so with the election of kennedy, clinton, or obama—all democrats. the median age of the u.s. population has been steadily rising since the 1790’s and only ever drops once in 200 years: in the 1980s. why? __ sources: population: u.s. census bureau. supreme court: wikipedia. president: wikipedia. congress: the wall street journal Interesting.

ragbag:

political ages

i didn’t make this chart because i wanted to prove a point or crack some really hilarious joke. i made it simply because (after an email exchange with an anonymous insider) i wanted to see what it would look like and if i would be able to spot trends. in the end, i shall leave the trendspotting to the pundits because my knowledge of political history pretty much ends in the late 1800’s. but here are some odd items that my untrained eye has detected:

  • during the reagan adminstration: the president and supreme court were the oldest that they have ever been in modern times while the congress and the u.s. population were the youngest.
  • generally, supreme court justices are the older than any other senior members of government which makes sense because they get the gig for life and only usually land it late in their career.
  • the president is usually older than congress but not so with the election of kennedy, clinton, or obama—all democrats.
  • the median age of the u.s. population has been steadily rising since the 1790’s and only ever drops once in 200 years: in the 1980s. why?

__

sources: population: u.s. census bureau. supreme court: wikipedia. president: wikipedia. congress: the wall street journal

Interesting.