Category Archives: political parties

Will Boehner Again Ignore “Hastert Rule” on Immigration Vote?

June 11, 2013, 7:43 amlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

The Plum Line says that a majority of Republicans in the House may want the Speaker of the House to pass immigration reform without support from a majority of Republicans: But either way — however we get there — it… Continue reading

“Old-School Politics Reign in California’s New Primary”

June 10, 2013, 9:24 pmballot access, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Roll Call: “California’s new top-two primary system was supposed to revolutionize the state’s political process. Instead, it’s forcing candidates to revert to an antiquated practice: competing for the state party’s endorsement.” See also Top Two Elections and their Effects … Continue reading

“State Super-Minorities Lead to ‘Lone Ranger’ Movie Trip”

June 4, 2013, 8:56 amlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Bloomberg: “In a few states, those that are deeply Republican-red or Democratic-blue, the partisan hue is so one-sided that it’s creating super-minorities in some Senate chambers, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.”

“House Republicans broken into fighting factions”

June 4, 2013, 8:45 ampolitical parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

WaPo: Schweikert considers himself a guarded optimist, but interviews with nearly three dozen GOP lawmakers and senior aides revealed plenty of doubt. The majority is “adrift,” according to a longtime conservative. The top five leaders hail from blue states… Continue reading

“IVP Initiative to Prohibit Taxpayer Funding of Partisan Elections”

May 30, 2013, 7:44 pmpolitical partiesRick Hasen

Release: The Independent Voter Project, authors of California’s new nonpartisan “Top-Two Open Primary” (Proposition 14), will be filing a new initiative with the California Secretary of State that will cut right to the core of partisan institutionalization. The new… Continue reading

“Connecticut Bill Drafted to Forbid Parties from being Named ‘Independent Party'”

May 30, 2013, 9:57 amballot access, political partiesRick Hasen

Ballot Access News reports.

“New Data on State Legislative Polarization – What Does it Mean for Election Policy?”

May 30, 2013, 7:09 amelection administration, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Doug Chapin blogs on Shor and McCarty’s new data.

Damning with Faint Praise Dept

May 29, 2013, 7:38 amlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

NYT: “Pillory Congress all you want as do-nothing or dysfunctional, as its critics often have. But in one respect, lawmakers in the Capitol are remarkably productive: they name post offices like nobody’s business. A new report from the Congressional… Continue reading

Is Boehner a Weak House Speaker?

May 27, 2013, 7:19 pmlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Vandehei and Allen: “So, yes, Boehner by recent historic standards and measures is a relatively weak speaker right now. But, in fairness, it’s not clear a more bullying or forceful leader would fare much better with this gang of… Continue reading

“GOP Dilemma: Draw New Voters Without Irking Base”

May 27, 2013, 7:02 pmpolitical parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

AP: “The Republican Party, having lost the popular vote in five of the last six presidential elections, confronts a dilemma that’s easier to describe than to solve: How can it broaden its appeal to up-for-grabs voters without alienating its… Continue reading

“Partisan Gridlock Thwarts Effort to Alter Health Law”

May 27, 2013, 6:56 pmpolitical parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Must-read front page NYT: Almost no law as sprawling and consequential as the Affordable Care Act has passed without changes — significant structural changes or routine tweaks known as “technical corrections” — in subsequent months and years. The Children’s Health … Continue reading

“The Seventeenth Amendment and Federalism in an Age of National Political Parties”

May 27, 2013, 6:37 pmlegislation and legislatures, political partiesRick Hasen

David Schleicher has posted this draft on SSRN. Here is the abstract: Despite it being the constitutional amendment that most altered the design of the federal government, and despite recent efforts by many prominent figures to repeal it,… Continue reading

“Dispute Over Budget Deepens a Rift Within the G.O.P.”

May 25, 2013, 3:12 pmpolitical parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Important NYT report.

Quote of the Day

May 23, 2013, 10:01 pmlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

“What I fear is the majority leader is working his way toward breaking his word to the Senate and to the American people, and blowing up this institution…He wants to have no debate…Do what I say when I say it.… Continue reading