While national pundits predict Republican challengers will steal seats from Democrats in Washington come November, Congressman Heath Shuler likely has little to worry about, based on a recent poll of registered voters in Jackson County. Shuler, D-Waynesville, has a general…

By Christopher A. Cooper and H. Gibbs Knotts Beginning in 2009 with a series of protests focusing on what participants viewed as excessive government taxation, the TEA Party movement has grown into one of the most prominent political stories of…

By Christopher A. Cooper and H. Gibbs Knotts A creature once roamed the American South that many now presume to be endangered if not extinct — the conservative Democrat. For nearly a century following the Civil War, almost all white…

By Michael Morris • Guest ColumnistThe sale of alcohol has become a hot topic in Western North Carolina. In 2010, voters in Burnsville and Weaverville passed ballot measures approving alcohol sales, and last August voters in Clay County approved countywide…

By Christopher Cooper and Gibbs Knotts Confidence in politics, politicians and government is low. President Obama’s approval rating hovers around 50 percent as he deals with two wars and what may turn out to be the worst environmental disaster in…

Though many Jackson County residents shy away from publicly airing their views on alcohol, a recent poll shows that a comfortable majority of voters support alcohol sales countywide. Whether you’re a college student in Cullowhee or socialite in Cashiers, stocking…

A year ago, Scott Cummings would never have pictured himself standing on the sidewalk pumping a homemade sign in the air for passing motorists to see. But last week, he found himself front and center in a 200-strong crowd at…

Government approval ratings are low all over the country. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that they’re also low in Jackson County. “The state of the economy is the strongest predictor of trust in government that I know of,” said…

1. Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Jackson County government? Favorable    33% Unfavorable    46% Not Sure    20%   2. Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the federal government?   Favorable    29% Unfavorable    62% Not…

A new polling project developed by Western Carolina University’s Public Policy Institute and The Smoky Mountain News aims to get data that is the meat and bread of political scientists into the hands of the voting public. “As academics, we’re…