Category Archives: political parties

Movement to Ease California Top Two?

August 20, 2015, 12:30 pmalternative voting systems, political parties, primariesRick Hasen

Richard Winger reporting from an event on top-two that I unfortunately had to miss because of teaching obligations: During the question period, Paula Lee, an activist in Californians for Electoral Reform, which advocates alternate voting systems such as proportional representation,… Continue reading

“Rand Paul Purchases a Path Around an Inconvenient Kentucky Law”

August 19, 2015, 8:04 amcampaigns, political parties, primariesRick Hasen

The Atlantic: Over the weekend, the Kentucky senator said he gave $250,000 to his state’s Republican Party for the explicit purpose of funding its presidential caucus in March. He promised to pony up another $200,000 in the fall, enough… Continue reading

“The McCain-Feingold Act May Doom Itself”

August 16, 2015, 9:04 pmcampaign finance, campaigns, political parties, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

I have written this oped for the National Law Journal. It begins: Did the congressional drafters of the 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign-finance law build within it the seeds for its own destruction? Tucked within the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (the formal… Continue reading

“Louisiana Republican Party sues over campaign contribution limits to state political parties”

August 14, 2015, 8:38 amcampaign finance, political partiesRick Hasen

The Advocate reports. I’ll have more on this suit coming Monday. As for why the last suit was dropped: The Republican National Committee, along with the state party, sued the FEC last year over the same issue. But the RNC… Continue reading

“Election Law’s Path in the Roberts Court’s First Decade: A Sharp Right Turn But with Speed Bumps and Surprising Twists”

August 5, 2015, 6:25 amcampaign finance, election administration, political parties, redistricting, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

I have posted this draft on SSRN. It is still an early draft. Comments welcome! Here is the abstract: The first decade of election law cases at the Supreme Court under the leadership of Chief Justice Roberts brought election law… Continue reading

Bloomberg BNA on Republicans’ New Soft Money Suit

August 4, 2015, 8:39 pmcampaign finance, political partiesRick Hasen

Ken Doyle: [update: also here without a subscription] No Explanation of Timing The decision to renew the legal challenge to the BCRA soft-money limits on behalf of the Louisiana Republicans—but not the RNC—may reflect divisions within the party over… Continue reading

Republicans File Major New Challenge to McCain-Feingold Soft Money Rules

August 4, 2015, 8:44 amcampaign finance, campaigns, political parties, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Read the complaint in Republican Party of Louisiana v. FEC. This is a major challenge, filed by Jim Bopp, raising not just as applied challenges, but facial challenges to the rules which limit how much money political parties can raise… Continue reading

“Limits unclear on new political party ‘slush funds’; Inaction by election cops gives Dems and Republicans free rein on spending”

August 3, 2015, 7:27 amcampaign finance, campaigns, political partiesRick Hasen

CPI: The Democratic and Republican parties certainly don’t agree on how to run the country, but they are in sync when it comes to capitalizing on a new law letting them raise eight times as much money from rich… Continue reading

“California Minor Parties Ask U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Case Against Top-Two System”

July 24, 2015, 5:29 pmballot access, political parties, primaries, third partiesRick Hasen

BAN reports on this cert petition.

“Democratic Party Machinery Shows Rust; Leaders worry losses of state, local offices create shortage of top candidates”

July 21, 2015, 8:26 amcampaigns, political partiesRick Hasen

WSJ reports.

“The debate over state polarization and campaign finance laws continues”

July 16, 2015, 2:33 pmcampaign finance, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Lee Drutman: One of the fundamental arguments in the “Political Realism” debate is whether or not strong political parties could make government work better. One way to assess party strength is to look at how much money parties can raise… Continue reading

“Unlimited party fundraising and spending gives you less polarized legislatures? Discuss.”

July 9, 2015, 7:25 amcampaign finance, campaigns, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Ray LaRaja and Brian Schaffner write at The Monkey Cage: Lee Drutman’s recent Monkey Cage piece challenges a finding from our forthcoming book, Campaign Finance and Political Polarization:When Purists Prevail. That is, that states that allow parties to raise… Continue reading

Cert Petition Filed Arguing Exclusion of Independent Voters in NJ Primaries is Unconstitutional

July 7, 2015, 12:55 pmpolitical parties, primariesRick Hasen

Read the cert. petition in Balsam v. Secretary of State of New Jersey.

“Democrats Make Advances, but House Still Proves Elusive”

July 6, 2015, 7:11 amlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarization, redistrictingRick Hasen

John Harwood NYT: From one vantage point, recent advances on race, gay rights and health care give the impression of powerful momentum for America’s liberal Democrats. But inside one of Washington’s power centers, they are running straight into a wall… Continue reading