Law Professors Joseph Fishkin and Heather Gerkin have published a scholarly paper on the current status of the national Republican Party, in which the official party structure and the Koch Brothers each have their own database of Republican Party donors, activists, and voters. The Koch Brothers’ database is superior to the party’s database. Fishkin and Gerkin conceive of the Koch Brothers as part of the national Republican Party, despite their lack of office within the party. Their paper explores the ramifications of this split between the formal party structure and the party’s influential backers. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.