Category Archives: legislation and legislatures

“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

Quote of the Day

May 24, 2013, 12:33 pmcampaign finance, legislation and legislatures, lobbyingRick Hasen

“I won’t dispute for one second the problems of a system that demands immense amount of fund-raisers by its legislators…It’s appalling, it’s disgusting, it’s wasteful and it opens the possibility of conflicts of interest and corruption. It’s unfortunately the world… Continue reading

“Banks’ Lobbyists Help in Drafting Financial Bills”

May 24, 2013, 7:36 amlegislation and legislatures, lobbyingRick Hasen

Front page NYT: Bank lobbyists are not leaving it to lawmakers to draft legislation that softens financial regulations. Instead, the lobbyists are helping to write it themselves. One bill that sailed through the House Financial Services Committee this… Continue reading

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

“Kill Bill”

May 23, 2013, 7:33 amcampaign finance, legislation and legislatures, lobbyingRick Hasen

Tom Edsall reviews the literature on lobbying and rent-seeking for corporations. (I cover more of this in some detail in this Stanford Law Review article).

“McCain Looks to Defuse ‘Nuclear’ Threat”

May 23, 2013, 7:18 amlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Roll Call: Sen. John McCain finds himself once again pushing his colleagues to avoid giving fodder to Democrats seeking to use the “nuclear option” to change Senate rules with a simple majority. The Arizona Republican’s latest endeavor is to persuade… Continue reading

“McCain, Collins Mock GOP Blockade on Budget Conference’

May 22, 2013, 7:36 amlegislation and legislatures, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Roll Call: Senate Democrats picked up some GOP reinforcements in their bid to get to a conference on a House-Senate budget agreement. Republican Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Susan Collins of Maine joined Budget Chairwoman Patty Murray, D-Wash.,… Continue reading