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Full-Text Articles in Law
Unclear And Unconvincing: The Truthiness Requirement Of California's Ballot Pamphlet Arguments, Michael Boardman
Unclear And Unconvincing: The Truthiness Requirement Of California's Ballot Pamphlet Arguments, Michael Boardman
Michael Boardman
“Truthiness,” as defined by TV satirist Steven Colbert, has found its way into the English lexicon. Unfortunately for California, its principles have also been incorporated into the state’s official ballot pamphlet. Misleading, and often demonstrably false, arguments written by special interests distort the political process yet the state continues to publish and distribute them to voters with little judicial recourse. Admirably, California permits private causes of action challenging the accuracy of these arguments, but the statutory scheme it has created to govern the challenges largely fails to promote its main goal: providing a central and convenient place for voters to …
Constitutional Conditions: Regulating Independent Political Expenditures By Government Contractors After Citizens United, Michael Boardman
Constitutional Conditions: Regulating Independent Political Expenditures By Government Contractors After Citizens United, Michael Boardman
Michael Boardman
A milestone in campaign finance jurisprudence, the Citizens United case sparked a political firestorm. Holding that all citizens and corporate entities are permitted to spend freely on elections, the Court overturned Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce and parts of McConnell v. FEC, and mooted two other cases in the field. Only six months later, the House of Representatives passed the DISCLOSE Act in an overt attempt to counteract the Citizens United decision. The Act has received much attention for its heightened corporate disclosure requirements, but another of its lesser-debated provisions could prove more onerous for America’s wealthiest corporations and …