Lawrence Lessig here defends Americans Elect for not telling the world who is paying for its petition drives and its costs for setting up the on-line presidential primary. Lessig is the author of “Republic, Lost” and a leading critic of campaign finance practices in the U.S., and a law professor. Here is the wiki page about him. Thanks to Rick Hasen’s ElectionLawBlog for the link.
Anthony Wing Kosner has this Forbes column, arguing that a relatively new concept in physics, the Constructal Law, predicts that the U.S. habit of forcing all electoral activity into just two dominant political parties is not sustainable. The Constructal Law is explained in a 2012 book by Adrian Bejan and J. Peder Zane, “Design in Nature: How the Constructal Law Governs Evolution in Biology, Physics, Technology, and Social Organization.”
Kosner is a design specialist. His column ought not to concede that the U.S. has always had a two-party system (although “two-party system” has many meanings, and people who use it ought to define it whenever they use it). In the 1850’s the United States had four major parties, and in the 1890’s it had three major parties. Also Wisconsin, in the period 1934-1944, had three major parties; and Minnesota in the period 1922-1942 also had three major parties.
The title of Kosner’s piece is “Duper Tuesday: Romney and Santorum Show we Already Have Three Parties (or More).”
On March 7, the Bipartisan Policy Center released this study of turnout in 2012 presidential primaries. It shows generally lower turnout than in past presidential primary seasons, but notes that 2012 presidential primary has been comparatively better in the states with open primaries or semi-closed primaries.
So far, the worst turnout in 2012 has been in Virginia, where only 4.6% of the eligible electorate chose to vote in the presidential primary.
the Bipartisan Policy Center was formed in 2007 by former U.S. Senate leaders Howard Baker, Bob Dole, George Mitchell,, and Tom Daschle. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.
This lengthy story, toward the bottom, reveals that a new poll shows Texas voters now say they would rather have an independent, non-partisan redistricting commission, than the current system in which the legislature draws districts for state legislative and U.S. House seats. The story also explains all the problems that still exist with the May 29 primary for 2012.
On March 7, a subcommittee of the South Carolina House Judiciary Committee passed HB 3110, which establishes registration by party. If the bill passes, parties will be able to close their primary if they wish. Currently South Carolina has open primaries, and any voter is free to choose any party’s primary ballot.
