Category Archives: legislation and legislatures

“ALEC has tremendous influence in state legislatures. Here’s why”

December 9, 2013, 12:39 pmlegislation and legislatures, lobbyingRick Hasen

It’s not just ideology: Another major factor was the legislative resources available to lawmakers: states where legislators had smaller budgets, convened for shorter lengths of time, and spent less time crafting policy were all more likely to enact ALEC model… Continue reading

“Why I was wrong about the nuclear option”

December 4, 2013, 9:02 pmlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

The Fix self-analyzes.

Congress: Setting Records for Smallest Number of Laws and for Unpopularity

December 2, 2013, 9:15 pmlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

NYT: “The 113th Congress has passed all of 55 laws so far this year, seven fewer at this point than the 112th Congress — the least productive Congress ever.” HuffPo: Pollster congressional approval average (12/2/13): 6.9%

“Statutory Interpretation from the Inside – An Empirical Study of Congressional Drafting, Delegation and the Canons: Part II”

November 25, 2013, 7:48 pmlegislation and legislatures, statutory interpretationRick Hasen

Abbe Gluck and Lisa Schultz Bressman have posted this draft on SSRN (forthcoming, Stanford Law Review). This moves to the top of my statutory interpretation reading pile. Here is the abstract: This is the second of two Articles relaying… Continue reading

“How much lobbying is there in Washington? It’s DOUBLE what you think”

November 25, 2013, 5:49 pmlegislation and legislatures, lobbyingRick Hasen

Interesting Tim LaPira post.

Tom Daschle and Trent Lott WaPo Oped on Polarization and the Filibuster

November 24, 2013, 10:06 pmlegislation and legislatures, political polarization, primariesRick Hasen

Here.

“What the Filibuster Rule Changes, and What It Doesn’t”

November 24, 2013, 9:57 pmlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

NYT Room for Debate: Maybe Now We’ll See Some Action Gregory Koger, author, “Filibustering: A Political History of Obstruction in the House and Senate” These ‘Reforms’ Are a Huge Mistake Richard A. Arenberg, co-author, “Defending the Filibuster” The Way … Continue reading

More Sarah Binder on the Filibuster Change

November 24, 2013, 11:17 amlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Must-read.

“Filibuster Vote Just Tip of Dysfunction Iceberg”

November 22, 2013, 4:53 pmlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

NYT.

Jonathan Adler on the Road to Nuclear Winter

November 22, 2013, 11:55 amlegislation and legislaturesRick Hasen

Must-read on the demise of the judicial filibuster at NRO.

Some Smart Commentary on the Filibuster Today

November 21, 2013, 8:22 pmlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Sarah Binder Jonathan Bernstein Larry Solum Jonathan Adler Will Baude David Weigel Emily Bazelon

The (Partial) End of the Filibuster as a Natural Consequence of Increased Polarization in the Senate

November 21, 2013, 1:37 pmlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

It’s a subject I addressed in Political Dysfunction and Constitutional Change, 86 Drake Law Review (2013) (symposium). Shorter version: pretty clear this was coming. Big question was who would pull the trigger.