[EL] Restoring Faith in Government

Wed Apr 22 13:07:44 PDT 2015

With regard to Rep. Sarbanes’ piece, is there any evidence from the states or localities that have adopted public financing systems that these systems have, in some way, restored “faith in government”? I follow this stuff fairly seriously and I have never seen any concrete evidence of such a restoration. Is anyone aware of any?

Moreover, is there any proof of a correlation between the loss of faith in government and the lessening of governmental restrictions on political activity? And is there any polling that public financing would reverse this trend? I would think that the people who would view the political system as corrupt would have felt that way before Citizens United or SpeechNow, so is there any polling or analysis about who had faith in government in December 2009 but didn’t have it in January 2010?

Thanks in advance for any answers.

Bill

From: law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu [mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu] On Behalf Of Rick Hasen
Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2015 12:36 PM
To: law-election at UCI.edu
Subject: [EL] more news 4/22/15

“Jeb the Destroyer: Jeb Bush is tearing down what little campaign finance law we have left.”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71946>
Posted on April 22, 2015 12:17 pm<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71946> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

I have written this piece<http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2015/04/jeb_bush_destroying_campaign_finance_rules_his_tactics_will_be_the_future.html> for Slate. It begins:

In February,<http://www.campaignlegalcenter.org/news/press-releases/clc-white-paper-outlines-likely-violations-2016-presidential-field> the Campaign Legal Center, a group which works on campaign finance reform issues, released a “white paper<http://www.campaignlegalcenter.org/sites/default/files/Testing_the_Waters_and_the_Big_Lie_2.19.15.pdf>” contending that many of the leading potential presidential candidates were likely breaking federal law by not declaring their candidacy or setting up a “testing the waters<http://www.fec.gov/rad/candidates/documents/CanGuideTestWater_000.pdf>” committee for a presidential election run. Such a declaration, among other things, limits donors to giving only $2,700 to the (would-be) candidate for the presidential primary season. It was an excellent report, but many shrugged off its findings as just one more way in which the campaign finance system has begun to unravel since the Supreme Court’s Citizens Uniteddecision.

But news this week<http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/bush-preparing-delegate-campaign-tasks-super-pac-30464016?singlePage=true> that Republican (pseudo-non)candidate Jeb Bush intends to outsource much of his campaign to an allied super PAC reveals that Bush’s decision to delay declaring his candidacy has allowed him to undermine one of the last rules in campaign finance law. Worse, his approach will be the new model of presidential funding in future elections and greatly increases the threat that large donors will have even greater influence over electoral and policy outcomes than they already have.
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Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, Supreme Court<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=29>
“Taco Bell Lobbyists Thank Congressional Staff With 6000 Tacos”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71944>
Posted on April 22, 2015 12:06 pm<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71944> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Lee Fang writes.<https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/04/22/taco-bell-thank-congressional-staff-unrelenting-support-6000-tacos/>
[Share]<https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71944&title=%E2%80%9CTaco%20Bell%20Lobbyists%20Thank%20Congressional%20Staff%20With%206000%20Tacos%E2%80%9D&description=>
Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>
“A Checklist Manifesto for Election Day: How to Prevent Mistakes at the Polls”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71942>
Posted on April 22, 2015 10:49 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71942> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Josh Douglas has posted this draft<http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2597767> on SSRN.  Here is the abstract:

Mistakes happen – especially at the polls on Election Day. To fix this complex problem inherent in election administration, this Article proposes the use of simple checklists. Errors occur in every election, yet many of them are avoidable. Poll workers should have easy-to-use tools to help them on Election Day as they handle throngs of voters. Checklists can assist poll workers in pausing during a complex process to avoid errors. This is a simple idea with a big payoff: fewer lost votes, shorter lines at the polls, a reduction in post-election litigation, and smoother election administration. Further, unlike many other suggested election reforms, this idea is likely to gain traction and see actual implementation. That is because the idea is “non-legal” in nature, in that it comes from the private sector and is achievable outside of the political process. Given the structural impediments to legislative or judicial change, non-legal solutions such as the use of checklists are the way forward in election reform.

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Posted in election administration<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>
“Secret Koch memo outlines plans for 2016″<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71940>
Posted on April 22, 2015 10:18 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71940> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Vogel, ‘natch.<http://www.politico.com/story/2015/04/koch-brothers-2016-election-memo-117238.html>
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Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, campaigns<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=59>
“It’s Time to Fix Stupid” PAC Name Rejected by Kansas Ethics Commission<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71938>
Posted on April 22, 2015 9:39 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71938> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

If this gets litigated <http://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/prairie-politics/article19214952.html> I would not bet on the Ethics Commission.
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Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, election administration<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>
“Federal judge OKs Albany County’s new political map”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71936>
Posted on April 22, 2015 7:20 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71936> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

The Times-Union reports<http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Federal-judge-OKs-Albany-County-s-new-political-6214061.php> (via NY Election News).
[Share]<https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71936&title=%E2%80%9CFederal%20judge%20OKs%20Albany%20County%E2%80%99s%20new%20political%20map%E2%80%9D&description=>
Posted in Uncategorized<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=1>
“The Sh*t Brad Smith Says”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71933>
Posted on April 22, 2015 7:03 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71933> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Lessig<http://lessig.tumblr.com/post/116910280092/the-sh-t-brad-smith-says> on Smith on disclosure of contributions.  CCP responds<http://www.campaignfreedom.org/2015/04/22/the-stuff-foul-mouthed-larry-lessig-says/>.
[Share]<https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71933&title=%E2%80%9CThe%20Sh*t%20Brad%20Smith%20Says%E2%80%9D&description=>
Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>
“Supreme Court Revives Challenge to North Carolina Redistricting”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71931>
Posted on April 22, 2015 6:58 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71931> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Jess Bravin for the WSJ.<http://www.wsj.com/articles/supreme-court-revives-challenge-to-north-carolina-redistricting-1429541094>
[Share]<https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71931&title=%E2%80%9CSupreme%20Court%20Revives%20Challenge%20to%20North%20Carolina%20Redistricting%E2%80%9D&description=>
Posted in redistricting<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=6>, Supreme Court<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=29>, Voting Rights Act<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=15>
“Restoring People’s Faith in Government”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71929>
Posted on April 22, 2015 6:57 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71929> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Rep. Sarbanes oped.<http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-people-government-20150416-story.html>
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Posted in Uncategorized<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=1>
“The State of Contribution Limits in a World of Super PACs”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71927>
Posted on April 22, 2015 6:55 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71927> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Important Bauer post.<http://www.moresoftmoneyhardlaw.com/2015/04/state-contribution-limits-world-super-pacs/>
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Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, Supreme Court<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=29>

--

Rick Hasen

Chancellor's Professor of Law and Political Science

UC Irvine School of Law

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