[EL] ELB News and Commentary 2/20/13
Rick Hasen
rhasen at law.uci.edu
Wed Feb 20 08:14:36 PST 2013
"Is 'Dependence Corruption' Distinct from a Political Equality
Argument for Campaign Finance Laws? A Reply to Professor Lessig"
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=47467>
Posted on February 20, 2013 8:10 am
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=47467> by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
I have posted this draft
<http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2220851>on SSRN.
Here is the abstract:
I greatly appreciate Professor Lawrence Lessig's interest in and
passion about limiting the corrosive role of money in American
politics. Lessig is an academic rock star, a great online and social
media presence who draws large crowds for his multimedia
presentations wherever he goes to talk about reforming our campaign
finance system. He has done more to educate the general public about
these issues than anyone else (aside from possibly Stephen Colbert),
certainly more than those of us, like me, who have spent our entire
careers writing about campaign finance issues.
And yet I have unease about a central premise of Lessig's argument:
that "dependence corruption," the government interest he advances to
support the constitutionality of his proposed campaign finance
reforms, is analytically distinct from an interest in promoting
political equality. Lessig's argument is crucial to the
constitutionality of his program before the current Supreme Court,
which has rejected political equality as a permissible interest to
support campaign finance regulation. I recently discussed my
concerns about his dependence corruption argument in a Harvard Law
Review book review of Lessig's new book, Republic, Lost, and Lessig
has responded with a defense in a Harvard Law Review Online Reply
and in his public presentations.
My continuing concern is not primarily with Lessig's prediction that
a current majority of the Supreme Court could well accept the
dependence corruption rationale to justify new restrictions, such as
contribution limits to super PACs --- although I do think he is
wrong in that prediction and that in his role as campaign finance
reform zealot he gives false hope to those who think the Court would
soon effectively overturn Citizens United v. FEC using his analysis.
Rather, Lessig's dependence corruption argument encourages fuzzy
thinking about the political equality rationale at a time when we
need clear thinking about, and defenses of, political equality
arguments. There could well be a time within the next decade when a
more liberal Supreme Court majority may consider overturning recent
precedent and allowing more regulation. By being more precise about
what is at stake with such regulation, and the potential costs to
free expression, supporters of reasonable campaign finance
regulation will be better positioned to defend a new set of laws. In
the end, the debate over dependence corruption helps elucidate the
best and worst types of political equality arguments to advance to a
future Supreme Court and American public.
Comments welcome!
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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10> |
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"Politicizing Justice: Attorney General Eric Holder's agenda begins
and ends with delivering favors to Obama's constituencies "
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=47463>
Posted on February 20, 2013 8:07 am
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=47463> by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
Weekly Standard cover story
<http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/politicizing-justice_701329.html>.
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Posted in Department of Justice <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=26>,
The Voting Wars <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60> | Comments Off
Supreme Court Could Double Down, Take Second Campaign Finance Case;
More on McCutcheon <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=47461>
Posted on February 20, 2013 8:05 am
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=47461> by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
It turns out that Danielczyk has been relisted
<http://www.supremecourt.gov/Search.aspx?FileName=/docketfiles/12-579.htm>
for Friday's conference. (Thanks to a reader for calling this to my
attention.) The Court could still put the case on hold for
/McCutcheon/, or grant and hear the case net term as well, or deny
cert. My betting at this point would be on the first or second, but not
the third, option. We'll see.
The McCutcheon grant of review got front page coverage in the New York
Times,
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/20/us/politics/supreme-court-to-hear-campaign-finance-case.html?smid=pl-share>
as well as this NYT editorial
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/20/opinion/campaign-donations-and-political-corruption.html?_r=0>.
More coverage from:
NPR
<http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/02/19/172429965/supreme-court-takes-case-that-could-puncture-a-key-campaign-cash-limit?live=1>
Reuters
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/20/supreme-court-political-donations>
USA Today
<http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/02/19/supreme-court-contribution-limits/1922883/>
WaPo
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/supreme-court-to-consider-limits-on-individual-political-contributions/2013/02/19/9126e474-7ad1-11e2-82e8-61a46c2cde3d_story.html>
The Hill
<http://thehill.com/homenews/news/283735-supreme-court-to-hear-rnc-backed-suit-challenging-campaign-finance-limits>
National Law Journal
<http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202588754877&et=editorial&bu=National%20Law%20Journal&cn=20130220nlj&src=EMC-Email&pt=NLJ.com-%20Daily%20Headlines&kw=After%20long%20recess%2C%20court%20adds%20major%20campaign-finance%20case%2C%20issues%20four%20opinions&slreturn=20130120110342>
ACS
<http://www.acslaw.org/acsblog/high-court-to-take-up-campaign-finance-regulation-again>
Constitutional Law Prof Blog
<http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/conlaw/2013/02/court-to-test-individual-campaign-contribution-limits.html>
Inside Political Law
<http://www.insidepoliticallaw.com/2013/02/19/supreme-court-to-take-up-biennial-contribution-limits/>
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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10> |
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"Chicago Called Most Corrupt City in Nation"
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=47459>
Posted on February 20, 2013 7:54 am
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=47459> by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
See here
<http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/02/14/chicago-called-most-corrupt-city-in-nation/>.
In other news, gravity has once again kept me from drifting off the
earth's surface.
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Posted in chicanery <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=12> | Comments Off
"Koch World Reboots" <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=47457>
Posted on February 20, 2013 7:52 am
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=47457> by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
Interesting Politico report
<http://www.politico.com/story/2013/02/koch-world-reboots-87834.html?hp=t1_3>.
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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, tax law
and election law <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=22> | Comments Off
"Complaint alleges racial bias in Palmdale elections; Case scheduled
to go to trial in May alleges that Palmdale's system of at-large
council seats dilutes the influence of minority voters."
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=47454>
Posted on February 20, 2013 7:50 am
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=47454> by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
Important LA Times report.
<http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-palmdale-voting-rights-20130219,0,5942021.story>
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Posted in voting <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=31> | Comments Off
Find The Best Tool for FEC Individual Contributions Data
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=47451>
Posted on February 20, 2013 7:48 am
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=47451> by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
See here. <http://fec-individuals.findthedata.org/>
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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10> |
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Roggensack, Fallone to Second Round of Wisconsin Supreme Court
Election <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=47449>
Posted on February 20, 2013 7:47 am
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=47449> by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
This race
<http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/roggensack-advances-out-of-supreme-court-primary-ud8piuo-191938491.html>
will be fascinating to watch.
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Posted in judicial elections <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=19> |
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More Shelby County Previews <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=47447>
Posted on February 20, 2013 7:44 am
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=47447> by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
TPM
<http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/02/supreme-court-voting-rights-act-section-5.php>
USA Today
<http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/02/19/voting-rights-act-does-america-still-need-it/1930837/>
And Hash Mooppan responds
<http://www.scotusblog.com/2013/02/the-ineffective-scattershot-defense-of-section-5/>
in the SCOTUSBlog symposium.
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Posted in Supreme Court <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=29>, Voting
Rights Act <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=15> | Comments Off
CREW Sues IRS over C4?s <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=47444>
Posted on February 19, 2013 11:24 am
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=47444> by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
Eliza
<http://www.rollcall.com/news/watchdog_group_sues_irs_over_policing_nonprofits-222531-1.html?pos=htmbtx>
has the details.
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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, tax law
and election law <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=22> | Comments Off
David Savage Shelby County Preview
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=47440>
Posted on February 19, 2013 11:03 am
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=47440> by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
Here
<http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-court-voting-rights-20130219,0,6391545.story>,
in the LA Times.
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Posted in Supreme Court <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=29>, Voting
Rights Act <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=15> | Comments Off
"House Democrats Cash In With Online Fundraising Program"
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=47436>
Posted on February 19, 2013 11:02 am
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=47436> by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
Roll Call
<http://www.rollcall.com/news/house_democrats_cash_in_with_online_fundraising_program-222502-1.html>:
"In the 2010 cycle, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
raised $14.6 million online; in 2012 it took in $49.3 million --- a
total representing one-third of its revenue. In the previous two cycles,
online donations accounted for 5 percent to 9 percent of the DCCC's
total haul, according to DCCC fundraising figures provided exclusively
to CQ Roll Call."
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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>,
campaigns <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=59> | Comments Off
New Pew Data Dispatch on Voter Registration in Colorado
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=47434>
Posted on February 19, 2013 11:00 am
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=47434> by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
Here.
<http://www.pewstates.org/research/analysis/voter-registration-in-colorado-85899452109>
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Posted in election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>,
voter registration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=37> | Comments Off
--
Rick Hasen
Chancellor's Professor of Law and Political Science
UC Irvine School of Law
401 E. Peltason Dr., Suite 1000
Irvine, CA 92697-8000
949.824.3072 - office
949.824.0495 - fax
rhasen at law.uci.edu
http://law.uci.edu/faculty/page1_r_hasen.html
http://electionlawblog.org
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