Why are so many Americans unhappy with the state of the US today? Here’s what they said in CNN’s latest poll

[Daily Kos Morning Roundup]( A morning roundup of worthy pundit and news reads, brought to you by Daily Kos. [Click here to read the full web version.]( - [Why are so many Americans unhappy with the state of the US today? Here’s what they said in CNN’s latest poll]( Why are so many Americans unhappy with the state of the US today? Here’s what they said in CNN’s latest poll, Ariel Edwards-Levy, CNN Among the 69% who said things were going either pretty or very badly, dim views of the nation’s economic conditions were a top driver. The smaller share who were more positive often cited their own, rosier takes on the economy. Other factors that influenced Americans’ outlooks, whether positive or negative, included their views of the current occupant of the White House, opinions on social issues, conclusions drawn from their daily lives or a combination of disparate concerns. Their explanations help shed light on what respondents really mean when they answer the broad, state-of-the-nation questions frequently included on surveys. Here’s a look at some common themes that emerged in our latest poll, as well as a sampling of responses from people across the country. Some answers have been lightly edited for length, grammar and clarity. - [House Democrats maneuver to force a debt-ceiling vote as default looms]( House Democrats maneuver to force a debt-ceiling vote as default looms, John Wagner and Marianna Sotomayor, The Washington Post House Democrats began a process Tuesday that could allow them to bypass the chamber’s Republican leaders in passing legislation to raise the nation’s debt ceiling — if they can get a handful of GOP members to join the effort. In a letter to colleagues, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said the maneuver “preserves an important option” as a standoff continues between the White House and House Republicans ahead of a looming default on U.S. debt as early as June 1. Jeffries said Democrats had crafted a “special rule” that could allow a bipartisan measure to be considered on the House floor through use of a so-called “discharge petition” — a procedure that is cumbersome, time-consuming and rarely successful. Such a petition would require 218 votes to discharge, or release a bill from committee, to start the process for a vote in the full House. - [2023 has gotten off to a rough financial start for Daily Kos. Can you help by donating $3 a month starting now?]( - [Marjorie Taylor Greene and The Ties That Bind]( Marjorie Taylor Greene and The Ties That Bind, Alan Elrod, Arc Digital What MTG's comments about real and fake parents reveal about how the hard right views the family and the nation These were Greene’s words on adoptive parents on her own show: The idea that mom and dad together—not fake mom and fake dad—but the biological mom and biological dad, can raise their children together and do what’s right for their children, raising them to be confident in who they are, their identity, their identity is, you know, they’re a child made by God. The suggestion here is that being a real parent involves foisting the “right” worldview into one’s child. The “biological” condition is secondary—what’s most constitutive of real parenthood, according to Greene, is imbuing a child with the correct “identity.” I have no doubt that, for Greene, an adoptive parent who raises her kids to think and act the way Greene does would be seen as a more legitimate parent than a biological parent who raises her kids to have diametrically opposed views to Greene’s. This means the “fake” nature of the adoptive parent is subordinate to the question of ideological alignment, which broadly speaking is how many on the hard right approach the legitimacy of parents who are raising children in ways they dislike. - [Missouri GOP’s dark vision for the future puts democracy on the back-burner]( Missouri GOP’s dark vision for the future puts democracy on the back-burner, Max Burns, MSNBC One proposal in the "Show Me State" would require ballot initiatives to get 60% support to succeed. One proposed revision would increase the requirement for passing a constitutional amendment from the current simple majority to 57%. Another, from the Missouri House, would jack the required support all the way up to 60%. That’s in a state in which only about 40% identify as Republicans, and where most progressive ballot measures historically win about 50-55% of the popular vote. In practice, that means almost every ballot measure put to the people will fail. It’s a sweepingly anti-democratic idea. And that’s just how the GOP wants it. The proposal’s supporters counter that amendments can still pass statewide with a simple majority, provided they also win approval in five of Missouri’s eight congressional districts. There’s just one problem: Republicans recently redrew the state’s congressional maps, and they ensured five of their shamelessly gerrymandered districts were decidedly more Republican-leaning than the rest of the state. - [Daily Kos t-shirts are going fast. Get one now and show your support for progressive, independent media!]( - [Is the Debt Limit Constitutional? Biden Aides Are Debating It.]( Is the Debt Limit Constitutional? Biden Aides Are Debating It., Jim Tankersley, The New York Times As the government heads toward a possible default on its debt as soon as next month, officials are entertaining a legal theory that previous administrations ruled out. Progressive groups have encouraged Mr. Biden to take actions meant to circumvent Congress on the debt limit and continue uninterrupted spending, like minting a $1 trillion coin to deposit with the Federal Reserve. Internally, administration officials have rejected most of them. Publicly, Biden aides have said the only way to avert a crisis is for Congress to act. “I know you probably get tired of me saying this from here over and over again, but it is true,” Ms. Jean-Pierre said on Thursday, after referring a question about the 14th Amendment to the Treasury Department. “It is their constitutional duty to get this done.” But inside the administration, it remains an open question what Treasury would do if Congress does not raise the limit in time — because, many officials say, the law is unclear and so is the Constitution, which gives Congress the power to tax and spend. - [What the Supreme Court Does in the Shadows]( What the Supreme Court Does in the Shadows, Adam Serwer, The Atlantic Unsigned, unexplained orders have reshaped American law. Steve Vladeck, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin and the author of the forthcoming The Shadow Docket, was one of the few legal observers who had been sounding the alarm on the Supreme Court’s use of emergency orders to make sweeping changes to American law outside of public scrutiny and regular procedure. Although emergency orders in time-sensitive cases had long been a part of the high court’s work, in recent years the volume, breadth, and partisan valence of the justices’ rulings in such matters had changed. The conservative justices’ use of the shadow docket to make rapid, expansive rulings on important matters has since drawn public scrutiny and even criticism from both the Court’s Democratic appointees and Chief Justice John Roberts. Most recently, the Supreme Court stayed a ruling from a conservative judge outlawing the abortion drug mifepristone, an apparent retreat from the Court’s recent aggressive use of the shadow docket. In his book, Vladeck notes that Justice Samuel Alito has “accused the shadow docket's critics of trying to intimidate the Court and undermine its legitimacy in the eyes of the public.” Vladeck explains, however, that he wrote the book not to delegitimize the Court, “but because I fear that the Court is delegitimizing itself, and that not enough people—the justices included—are noticing." I spoke to Vladeck about his upcoming book, how the shadow docket has shaped American law, and whether public backlash to the Court’s conduct has had an effect on the justices. ICYMI: Popular stories from the past week you won't want to miss: - [Once again, rural conservatives want government to bail them out]( - [Dark Brandon shows up at White House Correspondents Dinner, steals show]( - [How pudding and a mouse ended DeSantis' White House dream]( Want even more Daily Kos? Check out our podcasts: - [The Brief: A one-hour weekly political conversation hosted by Markos Moulitsas and Kerry Eleveld]( - [The Downballot: Daily Kos' podcast devoted to downballot elections. New episodes every Thursday]( Want to write your own stories? [Log in]( or [sign up]( to post articles and comments on Daily Kos, the nation's largest progressive community. Follow Daily Kos on [Facebook](, [Twitter](, and [Instagram](. Thanks for all you do, The Daily Kos team Daily Kos Relies on Readers Like You We don't have billionaire backers like some right-wing media outlets. Half our revenue comes from readers like you, meaning we literally couldn't do this work without you. Can you chip in $5 right now to help Daily Kos keep fighting? [Chip in $5]( If you wish to donate by mail instead, please send a check to Daily Kos, PO Box 70036, Oakland, CA, 94612. Contributions to Daily Kos are not tax deductible. Sent via [ActionNetwork.org](. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Daily Kos, please [click here](.