Category Archives: political parties

“Prominent Lawyer Outlines Nightmare Situations for G.O.P. Convention”

December 30, 2015, 9:14 ampolitical partiesRick Hasen

NYT: Mr. Ginsberg outlined two events that would leave Republican leaders scrambling to sort out who will represent the party in the general election: a “clear cluster” and a “party buster.” In the first case, several candidates would be hundreds… Continue reading

“These four reasons explain why bipartisanship is breaking out all over. Will it last?”

December 17, 2015, 11:07 amlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Must-read Sarah Binder.

“Unorthodox Lawmaking, Unorthodox Rulemaking”

December 16, 2015, 9:19 amlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Gluck, O’Connell, and Po have posted this draft on SSRN (forthcoming, Columbia Law Review). Here is the abstract: The Schoolhouse Rock! cartoon version of the conventional legislative process is dead, if it was ever an accurate description in the first… Continue reading

“Legislative Dysfunction and Political Accountability”

December 16, 2015, 9:17 amlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Edward Stiglitz has posted this draft on SSRN. Here is the abstract: The inability of members of Congress to agree on legislation is arguably generating a slow motion crisis in our separation of powers system. Some legislative disagreements reflect genuine… Continue reading

BIG: Campaign Finance Disclosure Efforts Dealt Severe Blow in Omnibus

December 16, 2015, 7:58 amcampaign finance, political parties, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

While campaign finance reformers were busy fighting off an attempt by Sen. McConnell to include a rider in the omnibus which would allow for unlimited coordinated party spending with candidates, three other very bad campaign finance provisions slipped into the… Continue reading

“McConnell Can Make Super PACs Obsolete”

December 15, 2015, 6:14 amcampaign finance, campaigns, political partiesRick Hasen

David Bossie for the National Review.

“McConnell Takes Credit for Resuscitating the Senate”

December 14, 2015, 8:22 pmlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

NYT: Barney Frank once told me that asking Republicans to govern was like asking him, the first openly gay member of Congress, to judge the Miss America contest: He would do it, but he wouldn’t enjoy it much or… Continue reading

“Montana GOP lawsuit to force ‘closed primary’ election is going to trial”

December 14, 2015, 8:08 pmpolitical parties, primariesRick Hasen

MTN News reports.

“Yes to McConnell’s Rider”

December 14, 2015, 9:16 amcampaign finance, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Ray La Raja: If you are disgusted with dark money, the outsized influence of billionaires, and power of uncompromising hard liners in Congress who hold the nation hostage to their dogmas, you should like a recent proposal by Senator… Continue reading

“GOP preparing for contested convention”

December 11, 2015, 6:40 amcampaigns, political partiesRick Hasen

WaPo: Republican officials and leading figures in the party’s establishment are preparing for the possibility of a brokered convention as businessman Donald Trump continues to sit atop the polls in the GOP presidential race. More than 20 of them… Continue reading

“Indiana Won’t Ask U.S. Supreme Court to Overturn Seventh Circuit Ruling that struck down Limited Nominations for Judicial Races”

December 10, 2015, 7:34 amalternative voting systems, ballot access, political partiesRick Hasen

BAN reports.

“Election Lawyers Push to Ease Party Campaign Finance Limits”

December 10, 2015, 7:16 amcampaign finance, political partiesRick Hasen

Bloomberg BNA: Top Republican and Democratic election lawyers appearing at a national ethics conference reiterated arguments for easing campaign finance rules on political parties but said they could not predict the outcome of ongoing discussions in Congress on the… Continue reading

“Freedom Caucus Forgets the Freedom Part”

December 9, 2015, 11:00 amcampaign finance, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Paul Jossey writes for The Daily Caller.

“Introduction: The Place of Agencies in Polarized Government”

December 8, 2015, 8:55 ampolitical parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Cynthia Farina and Gillian Metzger have posted this draft on SSRN. Here is the abstract: This is one of two complementary essays for a symposium honoring the work of Peter L. Strauss. Also included is the joint introduction. (The second… Continue reading