In Defense of “Super PAC’s” and of the First Amendment

November 1, 2013   •  By Luke Wachob   •  ,

Super PACs seem to have burst upon the electoral scene in 2010, following the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission.1 ...

Separation of Campaign and State

November 1, 2013   •  By Matt Nese   •  , ,

In a pair of recent decisions, Davis v. FEC and Arizona Free Enterprise Club’s Freedom Club PAC v. Bennett, the Supreme Court has struck down on ...

The Non-Expert Agency: Using The SEC To Regulate Partisan Politics

October 1, 2013   •  By Matt Nese   •  ,

Over the past 15 years advocates of campaign finance reform, frustrated by the structure and design of the Federal Election Commission (FEC), have attempted to offload ...

UPDATED: Issue Analysis No. 6: Do Lower Contribution Limits Produce “Good” Government?

October 1, 2013   •  By Joe Albanese   •  ,

Advocates for strict campaign finance laws and low contribution limits often suggest that such limits will do much to improve government. For this reason, proposals and groups urging ...

Campaign Spending and Electoral Competition: Towards More Policy Relevant Research

October 1, 2013   •  By Luke Wachob   •  ,

There is a long-standing scholarly literature on the electoral effects of campaign spending; nevertheless, the academic research offers only limited guidance for policy makers interested ...

‘Super PACs’ and the Role of ‘Coordination’ in Campaign Finance Law

October 1, 2013   •  By Luke Wachob   •  , , ,

In January 2010, the United States Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, struck down a federal ban on independent expenditures in political ...

UPDATED: Clean Elections and Scandal: Case Studies from Maine, Arizona and New York City

August 14, 2013   •  By Joe Trotter   •  , ,

On June 27, 2011, The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Arizona Free Enterprise Club’s Freedom Club PAC v. Bennett that a portion of Arizona’s tax-financed ...

UPDATED: Issue Analysis No. 3: Do Tax-Funded Campaigns Increase the Percentage of Women in State Legislatures?

August 14, 2013   •  By Alex Cordell   •  ,

Advocates of taxpayer-funded political campaigns, often called “clean elections” or “public financing” by their proponents, claim that these systems provide the ability for an increased number of diverse, non-traditional ...

UPDATED: Issue Analysis No. 2: Legislator Occupations – Change or Status Quo After Tax-Funded Campaigns

August 14, 2013   •  By Alex Cordell   •  ,

Proponents of taxpayer-financed political campaigns, often called “clean elections” by their supporters, assert that these programs will produce more diverse legislative bodies by allowing a greater number of ...

UPDATED: Issue Analysis No. 1: Do Taxpayer-Funded Campaigns Reduce Lobbyist and Special Interest Influence?

August 14, 2013   •  By Matt Nese   •  ,

Beginning with the 2000 election cycle, Arizona and Maine instituted taxpayer-funded political campaign programs for state legislative races. Sometimes called “clean elections” by their supporters, these programs seek to ...

Load more