Category Archives: political parties

The Political Safeguards of Horizontal Federalism

March 20, 2015, 10:03 amelection law and constitutional law, guest blogging election law scholarship, political parties, political polarization, theory, Uncategorizedfederalism, PoliticsHeather Gerken

Over at Balkinization, I’ve been blogging (here, here, here, and here) about the benefits associated with spillovers, which occur when one state’s policies affect citizens of another state. Most of those arguments have to do… Continue reading

“McConnell Makes Changes, but Senate Gridlock Remains”

March 20, 2015, 7:40 amlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

NYT: WASHINGTON — When he became majority leader, propelled by sweeping Republican victories last year, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky vowed to run a more productive and traditional Senate than his Democratic predecessor, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada. In… Continue reading

“Kentucky’s Rand Paul caucus problem”

March 19, 2015, 9:28 ampolitical parties, primariesRick Hasen

Joshua Spivak at The Hill.

“What a Kentucky Presidential Caucus Would Mean For Overseas Voters”

March 17, 2015, 7:39 ampolitical parties, primariesRick Hasen

Ashley Lopez commentary.

Schmitt on Reform Skeptics and Romantics

March 10, 2015, 5:39 pmcampaigns, political parties, primariesBruce Cain and Emily Zhang

Mark Schmitt has written a thoughtful piece about democratic romanticism in the recent edition of the journal Democracy (http://www.democracyjournal.org/36/democratic-romanticism-and-its-critics.php). In it, he identifies “an increasingly influential group of scholars and journalists” who form a “school of skeptics” about… Continue reading

“Spare Annapolis the dysfunction of D.C.”

March 10, 2015, 5:26 pmpolitical parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

David Lublin oped in the Baltimore Sun.

“Iowa caucuses are a poor proxy for America”

March 8, 2015, 4:18 pmpolitical parties, primariesRick Hasen

Rick Ridder oped. See also my 2012 Slate piece, Kill the Caucuses!

Senator Tim Scott Calls for “De-Coupling” Voting Rights Legislation and Selma Commemoration

March 6, 2015, 9:32 ampolitical parties, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

WOW: Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., an honorary co-chairman of the Selma trip and the only African-American Republican in the Senate, said voting rights and the commemoration of Selma should be “de-coupled.” “The issue of voting rights legislation and the… Continue reading

“Is There A Connection Between California’s Recent Low Voter Turnout And The Top-Two System?”

February 26, 2015, 12:24 pmpolitical parties, primariesRick Hasen

Richard Winger.

“Special delivery: Time to consign undemocratic boss-driven special elections to history”

February 22, 2015, 10:52 amcampaigns, political parties, primaries, votingRick Hasen

NYDN.

“Conniving by crossover voters is more myth than threat”

February 21, 2015, 8:07 pmpolitical parties, primariesRick Hasen

LAT reports.

“Obama: Eliminate The Senate Filibuster”

February 9, 2015, 7:23 amlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

TPM reports.

Special Issue on Top Two Primary from CJPP

February 8, 2015, 8:25 ampolitical parties, primariesRick Hasen

Here: Current Issue, Volume 7, Issue 1, 2015 Articles Introduction: The California Top Two Primary Sinclair, Betsy The Top-Two, Take Two: Did Changing the Rules Change the Game in Statewide Contests? Kousser, Thad Why Voters May Have Failed to … Continue reading

“Top-two primary system hasn’t worked as proponents promised”

February 8, 2015, 8:23 ampolitical partiesRick Hasen

LAT: Has it worked? In short, no, not yet. New academic research, published Sunday by the California Journal of Politics & Policy, found that voters were just as apt to support candidates representing the same partisan poles as they… Continue reading