The Winston Group

Making ideas matter.

[The Winston Group @TheWinstonGroup]

The Winston Group is out with a new policy paper through AEI outlining a new direction for National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). We argue for two key changes to NAEP.

https://t.co/SmnKotUqpv

[The Winston Group @TheWinstonGroup]

Heading into the fall, Republicans need to figure out what progress can be made on the economy from now until the election, and turn their signature piece of legislation — the Big Beautiful Bill — into more of an asset. https://t.co/XlLLxh159U

[The Winston Group @TheWinstonGroup]

In 2024, the electorate sent the message that Republicans had one job: fix the Biden economy. The 2026 election will largely be about the progress that has or hasn’t made on the economy.
https://t.co/XlLLxh159U

[The Winston Group @TheWinstonGroup]

But since the 2024 election, voters haven't seen much progress on the economy. From our recent survey for @WinningTheIssue, 60% of voters overall say the economy is not getting better at all. Almost two-thirds (66%) say inflation is getting worse.

[The Winston Group @TheWinstonGroup]

We are excited to announce the new Discussion Points Podcast with @myramiller and @dhwinston. In each episode, Myra and David will discuss their midterm election outlook, battleground races and major policy issues.

In the latest episode, What is the 2026 Midterm Election Going to Be About?, we explore the key issues shaping the upcoming midterm elections, focusing on economic concerns and presidential job approval.

Questions we cover in this episode:

How important is presidential job approval in a midterm election?
How does President Trump's current job approval compare to previous Presidents Biden and Obama, as well as his own in 2018?
What are voters looking for in evaluating the economy?

Be sure to subscribe for new episodes posting on Thursday.
https://t.co/2AguhAQIgH

[The Winston Group @TheWinstonGroup]

The economy has stumbled throughout the conflict with Iran, and Republican leads on the economy have eroded. But our trending for @WinningTheIssue shows slippage on economic issue handling started last year. Our new numbers confirm this trend.
https://t.co/5hkSjUZJrt

[The Winston Group @TheWinstonGroup]

The findings from the latest NAEP Long Term Trends were a mixed bag: some real improvements for younger students but not for older students.

Our analysis looks at the learning loss context, and how far students are from their pre-Covid baseline. https://t.co/IJU1kJvJTJ

[The Winston Group @TheWinstonGroup]

This week from The Winston Group:

-@dhwinston and @myramiller look at our latest data on independents to understand more about this voter group that is key in deciding elections: https://t.co/NRX647gvRs

- @dhwinston analyzes independents' current mood, particularly on the economy: https://t.co/72pokfPlZm

-And ICYMI last week, @CaitlinPeartree and @dhwinston argued the merits of a broad-based, liberal arts education: https://t.co/af1YOpQCSw

For more analysis, visit https://t.co/CqCSa9NLec

[The Winston Group @TheWinstonGroup]

The rising power of independents has been trending in national politics for decades, writes @dhwinston for @rollcall. Independents now wield indisputable clout. And they aren't happy.
https://t.co/3Rxf7GMAgq

[The Winston Group @TheWinstonGroup]

But who are independents? The Winston Group's @dhwinston and @myramiller look at our latest data to understand more about this critical voter group.
https://t.co/f4VwgTOt5r

[The Winston Group @TheWinstonGroup]

Independents are key in deciding elections, and a growing voter group. In the 2024 election, independents surpassed Democrats as a percentage of the electorate nationally and in 5 out of 7 competitive presidential states.

[The Winston Group @TheWinstonGroup]

This week from the Winston Group:

-With Ken Paxton’s victory in the TX runoff, @dhwinston and @myramiller offer their take on the state’s voting history and what it will take for Republicans to hold this Senate seat. https://t.co/3aL0m4Zs6F

-@CaitlinPeartree and @dhwinston argue that critical thinking is the outcome of sustained study over a full breadth of subjects, which is exactly the broad-based, liberal arts education Yale described in its recent report on trust in higher ed.
https://t.co/af1YOpQCSw

-@dhwinston takes on the DNC 2024 autopsy and outlines the six questions the report should have addressed.
https://t.co/6yISkLFtCY

For more analysis, visit https://t.co/CqCSa9NLec.

[The Winston Group @TheWinstonGroup]

The DNC finally released its 2024 autopsy, but it was an incomplete post-mortem that failed to address what worked, what didn’t and why.

In his latest for @rollcall, the Winston Group's @dhwinston outlines six politics and policy questions the DNC should have addressed.
https://t.co/6yISkLFtCY

[The Winston Group @TheWinstonGroup]

Critical thinking, write @dhwinston and @CaitlinPeartree, is often mistaken for a discrete skill that can be explicitly taught. In reality, it is the outcome of sustained study over a full breadth of subjects—exactly the broad-based, liberal arts education that Yale describes in its report.
https://t.co/af1YOpQCSw

[The Winston Group @TheWinstonGroup]

With Ken Paxton’s victory in the Texas GOP runoff, The Winston Group's @dhwinston and @myramiller look at the state's voting history and what it will take for Republicans to hold this Senate seat. https://t.co/0sNT0BglYp

[The Winston Group @TheWinstonGroup]

In the latest CPI report, inflation ticked up to 3.8%, the highest since May 2023. While the White House reaction is that these numbers are temporary, Republicans should be prepared for Democrats to start using the inflation reports agains them. https://t.co/x56KizWvK5

[The Winston Group @TheWinstonGroup]

In the conversation about student achievement, one important element is the experience of students before they ever enter a classroom. The early childhood years are a crucial window for brain development and other important skills.

Research conducted by The Winston Group on behalf of @claphamgroup earlier this year looked at several proposals aimed to help families with cost of living in those critical early years.
https://t.co/pYAD17F6OH

[The Winston Group @TheWinstonGroup]

This week from Winston Group:

- Since the DNC won’t release their campaign autopsy, The Winston Group’s @dhwinston and @myramiller outline what happened in the 2024 election
https://t.co/V1JgUHfo2R

- @dhwinston analyzes the Supreme Court redistricting decision in Louisiana and what it means for future redistricting efforts
https://t.co/IVI9vX3ctz

- In a joint op-ed with @claphamgroup's Mark Rodgers, @myramiller writes about the additional policy opportunities to address affordability and build on the pro-family progress in last summer’s Working Families Tax Cuts.
https://t.co/B0A3IFOYKK

For more analysis, visit https://t.co/CqCSa9NLec.

[The Winston Group @TheWinstonGroup]

The central question of the redistricting debate, writes @dhwinston in @rollcall, is whether the Supreme Court’s Louisiana v. Callais decision to allow partisan gerrymandering serves our democratic process in the long run.
https://t.co/LKZXPf7rKB

[The Winston Group @TheWinstonGroup]

Read for more, read our full 2024 post-election report.
https://t.co/RMiMWN5rcq

[The Winston Group @TheWinstonGroup]

Since the DNC won't release their campaign autopsy, we are re-releasing our report about what happened in the 2024 election.
https://t.co/RMiMWN5rcq

[The Winston Group @TheWinstonGroup]

5. Democrats lost ground with a variety of key voter groups, including independents, Hispanic voters, and women.