Publications
Democracy
Post-Election Audits: Restoring Trust in Elections
With the intention of assisting legislators, election officials and the public to make sense of recent literature on post-election audits and convert it into realistic audit practices, the Brennan Center and the Samuelson Law, Technology and Public Policy Clinic at Boalt Hall School of Law (University of California Berkeley) convened a blue ribbon panel. Included are several practical recommendations for improving post-election audits, regardless of the audit method that a jurisdiction ultimately decides to adopt.
Authored by: Lawrence Norden, Aaron Burstein, Joseph Lorenzo Hall and Margaret Chen
– 08/01/07
Post-Election Audits: Restoring Trust in Elections (Executive Summary)
Executive summary of practical recommendations put forth by the Brennan Center and Samuelson Clinic for improving post-election audits, regardless of the audit method that a jurisdiction ultimately decides to adopt.
Authored by: Lawrence Norden, Aaron Burstein, Joseph Lorenzo Hall and Margaret Chen
– 08/01/07
The New Politics of Judicial Elections 2006
This fourth edition of “The New Politics of Judicial Elections” shows how 2006 was the most threatening year yet to the fairness of America’s state courts. Special interest pressure is metastasizing into a permanent national campaign against impartial justice.
Authored by: James Sample, Lauren Jones and Rachel Weiss
– 05/17/07
Campaign Finance in Minnesota
This study finds that a major loophole in Minnesota’s campaign finance system permits special interests to funnel unlimited amounts of money to political parties, legislative caucuses, and PACs- creating massive opportunities for special interest groups to distort Minnesota’s political process.
Authored by: Suzanne Novak & Paige Ammons
– 04/25/07
Breaking Free with Fair Elections
Coalition publication supporting full public financing for congressional elections. Supported by the Brennan Center, Common Cause, Democracy Matters, Public Campaign, Public Citizen & U.S. PIRG.
– 03/27/07
Campaign Finance in Ohio
This study finds that sky-high contribution limits - in a system riddled with loopholes- create massive opportunities for special interests to corrupt Ohio’s political process.
Authored by: Suzanne Novak, Maneesh Sharma & Bethany Foster
– 03/19/07
Campaign Finance in Michigan
This study finds that sham issue ads - advertisements masquerading as issue advocacy that plainly support the election or defeat of a candidate - are creating massive opportunities for special interest groups to corrupt Michigan’s political process.
Authored by: Suzanne Novak & Lauren Jones
– 03/15/07
An Agenda for Election Reform
This memorandum sets out a comprehensive election reform agenda for the 110th Congress and explains the reasons for each policy reform.
Authored by: Wendy R. Weiser and Jonah Goldman
– 03/07/07
Campaign Finance in Illinois
This study finds that an absence of any campaign contribution limits or public financing, limited disclosure, and poor enforcement of existing campaign finance laws are pushing campaign costs through the roof and fueling a pay-to-play culture that threatens to undermine public confidence in state and local government.
Authored by: Suzanne Novak & Seema Shah
– 02/22/07
Campaign Finance in Wisconsin
This study finds that sham issue ads advertisements masquerading as issue advocacy that plainly support the election or defeat of a candidate are creating massive opportunities for special interest groups to corrupt Wisconsins political process.
Authored by: Suzanne Novak and Seema Shah
– 02/20/07