Apr 11
Posted 406 days ago by Jake Laperruque
Last week, I put forward the idea that despite the potential dismantling of public financing systems – probably the greatest hope for fair elections – we can still create a campaign finance system that follows the principles of equality and democracy.
Apr 6
Posted 411 days ago by Jake Laperruque
At a time when campaign finance law is at risk of being abolished, how can we ensure that our elections continue to be free and fair for all Americans? The Obama campaign’s fundraising strategy presents one possible option. . . .
Mar 30
Posted 418 days ago by Jake Laperruque
On Monday, the Supreme Court dove back into the question of campaign finance law, hearing arguments in the case of Arizona Free Enterprise Club v. Bennett. This critical case addresses Arizona’s system of public financing . . .
Posted 424 days ago by Jake Laperruque
With the protections of the First Amendment and the limited strength of election law, candidates for political office are practically free to say whatever they want. However, even in the absence of legal limits, some de facto restrictions constrain politicians in their statements, with the punishment being condemnation by the press and public at large.
Posted 432 days ago by Jake Laperruque
Would you like your state to serve as a public policy guinea pig for the rest of the country?
Mar 10
Posted 438 days ago by Jake Laperruque
Given the animation and excitement that a presidential election involves, we are always eager to look ahead to the next campaign (perhaps sometimes too much so). Candidates capitalize on this attention; in the 2008 election, four candidates announced they were running as early as 2006, and another eight announced candidacies in the first two months of 2007.
Feb 28
Posted 448 days ago by Jake Laperruque
Growing up in the dawn of the Internet Age, as children we were often told, “don’t trust strangers online,” and frightened with stories of abductors posing as digital friends. But, while we have always been vigilant of an individual with a misleading online identity, right now we face a new threat with strong ramifications for democracy and discourse – the manipulation of not one online persona, but of the digital populace as a whole.
Feb 21
Posted 455 days ago by Jake Laperruque
Somewhere, in the vast realm of cyberspace, there is an Emanuel imposter at work, and the real Rahm wants to know who it is. Although his campaign for mayor of Chicago during this oddly timed election seems to be going smoothly (in the latest poll, Emanuel was up by 30 points), Obama’s former Chief of Staff is dealing with some image problems from an unlikely foe – Twitter. . . .
Feb 16
Posted 460 days ago by Jake Laperruque
Could Julian Assange, the controversial founder of Wikileaks, end up as a prisoner in the United States’ infamous detention facility at Guantanamo Bay? His lawyers seem to think there is a real possibility, and have referenced it as a reason to prevent extradition outside England, where Assange is currently being held.
It’s unclear whether this is genuine fear or a publicity stunt. If Assange is brought to Sweden to face charges of sexual assault, he might then be extradited to the United States to face charges relating to the activities of Wikileaks. However, the extradition treaty between Sweden and the U.S. requires the requesting country show basis for the request. The U.S. government has been trying to find a means of applying charges to Assange for some time, but the legal effort is fraught with complications. Prosecution of Assange is contingent upon leveling a conspiracy claim linking Assange to Bradley Manning, the army private who stole and leaked confidential U.S. documents. Such attempts have so far proved futile. . . .
A Harvard Law School Student Journal
© 2012 The President and Fellows of Harvard College.