The Obama administration’s FY2013 budget proposal was released yesterday, and in addition to the headline items—such as military budget cuts and “Buffet-rule” tax increases—it contained in its 256 pages several interesting proposals that flew under the radar.
Same Day Registration (SDR) (also known as Election Day Registration) states have historically led the nation in voter turnout, with average turnout rates 10 to 12 percentage points higher than non-SDR states. In the high-turnout 2008 presidential election, SDR states led the nation in turnout by 7
NYPIRG released a report last week of the largest donations in New York state politics over the past year. The numbers, while no longer surprising, mirror the disturbing state of campaign spending at the federal level, and they raise some important questions about the underlying institutions
NEW YORK - The New York Court of Appeals today declined to hear plaintiffs’ direct appeal in Little v. LATFOR, a lawsuit challenging New York’s law ending prison-based gerrymandering.
Earlier today, Demos, along with a broad coalition of organizations, asset management groups, and elected officials sent a letter to the Senate Banking Committee calling for a public hearing to consider corporate governance solutions to Citizens United.
The difference is obvious, Potter replied. Because 527 groups were legally shady, they attracted far less money from fewer donors. True, the FEC didn’t enforce the law, but donors couldn’t be sure that would be the case, and some were unwilling to take the risk.
A few recent indicators suggest the country, at least economically-speaking, is continuing to slowly heal: a decline in jobless claims, a bottoming of the housing market, maybe, and an uptick in consumer confidence.
