Category Archives: political parties

“Political Parties, Voting Systems, and the Separation of Powers”

May 20, 2016, 7:55 ampolitical partiesRick Hasen

Stephen Gardbaum has posted this draft on SSRN (forthcoming, American Journal of Comparative Law). Here is the abstract: This article aims to show that whatever the formal arrangements on the separation or “fusion” of executive and legislative powers —… Continue reading

“Trump’s deal with the RNC shows how big money is flowing back to the parties”

May 18, 2016, 8:58 pmcampaign finance, political partiesRick Hasen

WaPo: The deal Donald Trump struck with the Republican National Committee this week that allows wealthy supporters to give nearly $500,000 to finance his campaign and get-out-the-vote activities made it official: The parties are back in the big-money business.… Continue reading

“St. Joseph County candidate nominated by two parties for one seat”

May 16, 2016, 7:09 amcampaign finance, political partiesRick Hasen

South Bend Tribune reports he may sue to keep D and R nominations.

“Anti-Donald Trump Forces Gear Up For Third-Party Challenge”

May 10, 2016, 2:17 pmballot access, political parties, third partiesRick Hasen

HuffPo: Top Republican strategists this past week have stepped up a frantic effort to lay the groundwork for a third-party presidential run, even as elected officials within the party begin to make their peace with Donald Trump. The effort… Continue reading

“FEC Seeks to Derail Soft-Money Challenge”

May 9, 2016, 5:14 pmcampaign finance, campaigns, political parties, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Bloomberg BNA: The Federal Election Commission is seeking to derail a challenge to limits on “soft-money” contributions to political parties before the case is put on a fast track to the Supreme Court (Republican Party of La. v. Federal … Continue reading

“The real obstacle to voter turnout in Democratic primaries: caucuses”

May 2, 2016, 12:27 pmpolitical parties, primariesRick Hasen

Jeff Stein for Vox: Bernie Sanders wants to transform how the Democratic Party chooses its presidential nominee. To do so, Sanders has made abolishing the closed primary — which prevents independents from voting — one of his top demands of… Continue reading

“Inquirer editorial: How to fix the primaries”

May 2, 2016, 7:55 amalternative voting systems, political parties, primariesRick Hasen

Philly.com: Two states, California and Washington, have gone further, instituting “top two” primaries for non-presidential elections. All candidates compete in a single preliminary election, from which the two most popular proceed to the general, even if they’re both Democrats,… Continue reading

“Sanders makes a public plea for Democratic superdelegates to switch allegiances”

May 1, 2016, 7:23 pmpolitical parties, primariesRick Hasen

WaPo reports; White House hopeful Bernie Sanders, who has fought the Democratic establishment throughout his campaign, made an extraordinary appeal Sunday for party insiders to help deliver the nomination to him, even if he doesn’t catch rival Hillary Clinton… Continue reading

“The Caucuses and the Right to Vote”

April 28, 2016, 10:52 amelection administration, political parties, primariesRick Hasen

Lawyers’ Committee has produced an interactive map of complaints about disenfranchisement in the use of caucuses. Time to kill the caucuses.

“John Boehner just confirmed everything liberals suspected about the Republican Party”

April 28, 2016, 8:23 ampolitical parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Ezra Klein: But don’t laugh it off. John Boehner was the Speaker of the House as recently as a single year ago. He is, himself, a conservative Republican. And he is saying, flatly, that the Republican Party has been captured… Continue reading

“Exclusive: Half of Americans think presidential nominating system ‘rigged’ – poll”

April 27, 2016, 7:26 ampolitical parties, primariesRick Hasen

Reuters: More than half of American voters believe that the system U.S. political parties use to pick their candidates for the White House is “rigged” and more than two-thirds want to see the process changed, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.… Continue reading

“Ballot Access Blues: California GOP Shuts Independents Out of Presidential Primary”

April 25, 2016, 9:42 ampolitical parties, primariesRick Hasen

William Welch for Moyers & Co.

“Sanders campaign’s new strategy on superdelegates leaves some unimpressed”

April 24, 2016, 11:46 amcampaigns, political parties, primariesRick Hasen

LAT: “You’re trying to woo us now, but we remember when you were trashing us,” said former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, one of 21 superdelegates from the state, the largest of five that hold primaries Tuesday.