Category Archives: political parties

Roll Call Confirms What I Suspected: DOJ Bail-In Move Makes Congress Much Less Likely to Fix VRA

July 25, 2013, 3:24 pmpolitical parties, political polarization, The Voting Wars, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Roll Call: Republican members of the Lone Star State House delegation made their position clear to Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Thursday: Don’t mess with Texas. They also had another message for the head of the Justice… Continue reading

“Why Cities Are So Poorly Governed”

July 20, 2013, 4:25 pmpolitical parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Matt Yglesias: Conservatives are eager to blame Detroit’s problems hazily on “Democrats,” and in most respects I think that’s wildly misleading. But I do think there’s an important sense in which they’re correct. American cities across the board suffer… Continue reading

Two FairVote Reports

July 18, 2013, 8:18 pmpolitical parties, primariesRick Hasen

Top Two in Washington State and Federal Primary Runoff Elections and Voter Turnout Declines, 1994 – 2012.

“New Voting Rights Law Hinges on Some Less-Visible Republicans”

July 18, 2013, 8:42 ampolitical parties, political polarization, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

David Hawkins says it may be up to Reps. Sensenbrenner and Westmoreland in the House. Rep. Westmoreland and I were strange bedfellows during the 2006 reauthorization, when the conservative Republican lawmaker offered the pro-active bailout amendment I was pushing to… Continue reading

The Chances of a Deal to Fix the VRA After Shelby County? Observations about the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing

July 17, 2013, 12:34 pmlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarization, The Voting Wars, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

I had a chance to watch a good part of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing today. It makes me more pessimistic about the chances of a deal to improve the Voting Rights Act after the Supreme Court effectively gutted section… Continue reading

“The Senate that Senators Want”

July 16, 2013, 1:09 pmlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Monkey Cage guest post from Eric Schickler and Greg Wawro: Events in the Senate over the past few weeks offer two clear lessons. First, a simple majority in the Senate has the power – and indeed has long had the… Continue reading

“The Senate didn’t go nuclear. But, actually, it kind of did.”

July 16, 2013, 11:53 amlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Ezra Klein: “This will be the new normal. It will be the new normal under Democrats and then it will be the new normal under Republicans. The Senate stopped short of actually ending the filibuster against executive-branch nominations today. But… Continue reading

“Reid announces tentative deal to avert rules showdown”

July 16, 2013, 8:35 amlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

The latest from WaPo.

“Senate’s Leader Sets Showdown Over Changes to Filibuster”

July 15, 2013, 9:52 pmlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

NYT: Senator Harry Reid of Nevada took a defiant and uncompromising stand on Monday before a showdown on the future of the filibuster, saying that Republicans must stop blocking executive branch nominations or he will try to change rules… Continue reading

“Democrats: It’s the States, Stupid!”

July 15, 2013, 10:58 amlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarization, UncategorizedRick Hasen

Herman Schwartz: Unless the Democrats wake up to the importance of winning state legislative elections, they are likely to remain a largely impotent minority in the House of Representatives and equally feeble in the state legislatures. The momentous Supreme… Continue reading

“Speak Softly….and Carry a Nuclear Stick”

July 15, 2013, 8:54 amlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Sarah Binder on the filibuster fight.

“Both Sides in Filibuster Fight See Twisting of Senate Rules”

July 15, 2013, 8:52 amlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

NYT reports.

“Reid-McConnell clash latest evidence that genteel Senate has turned into a fight club”

July 15, 2013, 8:37 amlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

WaPo reports.

“A Day of Friction Notable Even for a Fractious Congress”

July 12, 2013, 2:46 pmlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

NYT: Even in a Congress where bipartisanship and comity are now officially the exceptions to the regular order, the near implosion on Capitol Hill on Thursday was notable, as both chambers erupted in a furor that went on for much… Continue reading