Rule of Law Commons^™

Reaganomics: History Repeats Itself, But Louder, University Of Washington School Of Law

Rule of Law Initiative

Executive Summary

Ronald Reagan’s presidency (1981–1989) dramatically reshaped the American economic and institutional landscape. He championed “supply-side” economics, dubbed “Reaganomics.” Through sweeping tax cuts, deregulation, and a reallocation of federal funding priorities, Reagan shifted the burden of public services, especially in education and research, from government to individuals and private markets. Public universities saw deep cuts in federal support and increasingly turned to industry partnerships and commercialization to survive. Simultaneously, Reagan expanded defense research funding, fostering a close relationship between the government and elite research institutions. Innovation policy was formalized through the Bayh-Dole Act and the creation of …

Tax Exempt Research Guide, University Of Washington School Of Law

Rule of Law Initiative

For over a hundred years, organizations have harnessed and relied on tax exempt status to serve the public. Tax exemption is a powerful tool for social, environmental, and community well-being. This Legal Research Guide on Tax Exemption serves as a navigational compass for the public seeking to learn about tax exemption.

Why The Rule Of Law Matters For Nonprofits, University Of Washington School Of Law

Rule of Law Initiative

The Rule of Law is what keeps tax exemption from being a political weapon and allows for nonprofit organizations to provide services the government is not providing our communities.

Rule Of Law – Public Q&A, University Of Washington School Of Law

Rule of Law Initiative

Below are common questions the public may have about the Rule of Law, tax exemption status, the revocation of tax exempt status, and key cases like Bob Jones University. To understand these in more detail, browse the Tax Exempt research guide (History, Rule of Law, Revoking Tax Exemption, Secondary Materials, and Current Awareness).

Bob Jones University And The Rule Of Law, University Of Washington School Of Law

Rule of Law Initiative

The Rule of Law is what keeps tax exemption from being a political weapon.

Bob Jones University shows the Rule of law in action: clear public policy, cross-branch consensus, balanced against constitutional rights, and enforced through transparent procedures and court review.

The case is influential because it lays the foundations for analyzing The Public Policy Doctrine, a key element when courts review tax exempt revocation cases.

The revocation of tax-exempt status is law-driven, not headline-driven; the Bob Jones University v. United States case set an important precedent by creating a narrow and cautious framework that the IRS must follow to …

A Brief History Of Tax Exemption, University Of Washington School Of Law

Rule of Law Initiative

Below is a condensed history of tax exemption. It contains an analysis of tax exemption before statutory codification in 1894. It explains how the law evolved to provide predictability and fairness in the application of an organization’s tax-exempt status.

How Does A Court Determine The Tax-Exempt Purposes Of An Organization?, University Of Washington School Of Law

Rule of Law Initiative

To determine the tax-exempt purposes of an organization, courts and tax authorities primarily examine whether the organization is both "organized" and "operated" exclusively for exempt purposes, as required under 26 U.S.C § 501.

This involves a two-part test: the "organizational test" and the "operational test." The organizational test assesses whether the organization's foundational documents, such as its charter or articles of incorporation, limit its purposes to one or more exempt purposes and do not authorize substantial non-exempt activities.

Tidal Waves Of Mental Health Damage: Effects Of The 2024 U.S. Election, Mary Anne Layden

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Let's Get Personal: Due Process And Personal Jurisdiction As A New Path Forward For Extraterritoriality, Samy Abdelsalam

Northwestern University Law Review

The Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization has put fundamental principles of federalism and state sovereignty under attack. Legislation and lawsuits in states nationwide aim to limit the rights of American citizens to travel freely between states in search of medical care. Further, these measures have extraterritorial reach, legally entangling the rights of private citizens in other states who provide medical care even while fully within their own state borders. Scholars have analyzed this development through various doctrinal lenses, including the Dormant Commerce Clause. But these frameworks fail to adequately protect those who are unfortunate enough …

Climate Exceptionalism In Court, Zachary D. Clopton, David A. Dana

Northwestern University Law Review

Across a range of cases, fossil fuel companies, government actors, and some judges have conceded that climate change is an exceptional phenomenon, only to argue that its exceptional nature is a reason to keep climate change out of court. These parties and judges thus seek to avoid the adjudication of climate cases on the merits, even when the neutral application of existing law would provide for jurisdiction in these cases. We term this phenomenon “climate jurisdiction exceptionalism.”

This Article provides a comprehensive account of climate jurisdiction exceptionalism, focusing on two main threads: Article III standing and state court jurisdiction. First, …

Federal Preemption In Airport Noise Abatement Regulation: Of Federal And State Power, Maine Law Review

Maine Law Review

The growth of air commerce in the United States has been characterized by the use of jet aircraft which has led to frequent litigation by local governments and their citizens attempting to abate the increased aircraft noise. Although from the inception of airflight there has been conflict between localities and the aviation industry over the noise produced by aircraft operations, the present conflict dates from the late 1950s when private air carriers first introduced pure-jet aircraft to the nation's civil airports. While the noise emitted from jet aircraft, measured in decibels, is not necessarily louder, it is of a higher …

Put Me In, Coach: Constitutional Concerns Of Judicial Activism And Legislating From The Bench, Jacob M. Elliott

Senior Honors Theses

Unrestrained judicial activism and legislating from the bench at the Supreme Court level place federalism and freedom in jeopardy. By ignoring crucial doctrines like jurisdiction, deference, and independence, the Supreme Court has demonstrated a tendency toward reinterpreting existing Constitutional precedent as they see fit, basing judgments on extra-legal influences, and supplanting Constitutional principles with their own personal policy preferences.

Numerous cases demonstrate the looming threat of judicial overreach; these cases are often considered some of the most damaging and injurious decisions in the history of the American federal judiciary. One potential solution is to appoint justices who will operate …

Evaluasi Implementasi Putusan Mahkamah Konstitusi Terhadap Desain Surat Suara Calon Tunggal Dalam Pilkada, Enika Maya Oktavia, Rizki Maulana Syafei, Tsalis Khoirul Fatna

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

The phenomenon of single candidates in regional elections in Indonesia has created a dilemma in applying democratic principles, especially regarding ballot design that often confuses voters. The Constitutional Court’s Decision Number 100/PUU-XIII/2015 mandated a plebiscite design with “agree” or “disagree” options for single candidates. However, in practice, this design has been distorted with the presence of a blank box without adequate explanation. This study aims to evaluate the extent to which the discrepancy between the Constitutional Court's decision and actual ballot design practices affects voter understanding and the quality of democracy. This study employs a normative juridical method with a …

Konstitusionalitas Model Putusan Bawaslu Dalam Penyelesaian Pelanggaran Administratif Pemilu, Muhammad Rifai Yusuf, Syarif Hidayat

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

As one of the institutions that carries out quasi-judicial functions in the field of general elections, Bawaslu could issue a decision through an adjudication process. In 2017, Bawaslu was criticized for its several decisions in the Sipol case held by the KPU for the registration of participants in the 2019 general elections, mainly because it was considered that Bawaslu equated its position with the Supreme Court by assessing that Sipol in the KPU Regulation was not in line with the Election Law. In 2024, decisions on election administrative violations appear to be softer or seem to avoid the same potential …

Quo Vadis Hak Atas Kesehatan Reproduksi: Analisis Rekonstruksi Pengaturan Aborsi Di Indonesia (Perbandingan Hukum Indonesia Dengan Perancis), Dian Kencana Putri, Erna Dyah Kusumawati

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

Pembatasan akses aborsi di Indonesia menyebabkan banyak perempuan dengan kehamilan tidak diinginkan terpaksa berhadapan dengan hukum. Pembatasan aborsi yang mengakibatkan kriminalisasi ini dapat menyebabkan dilema moral bagi banyak perempuan yang mengalami kehamilan tidak diinginkan. Padahal aborsi berpotensi terjadi pada setiap perempuan berusia produktif di Indonesia. Aborsi di Indonesia merupakan tindakan ilegal dan aborsi hanya dapat dilakukan dalam dua kondisi saja, yakni kedaruratan medis dan kehamilan yang disebabkan perkosaan. Artikel ini menganalisa bagaimana sebenarnya substansi aborsi dapat dimasukkan pada kategori hak kesehatan reproduksi perempuan dan mengapa negara Indonesia perlu mengubah kebijakan dan hukum mengenai aborsi. Untuk melihat seberapa pentingnya negara harus …

Rekontruksi Sistem Pertanggungjawaban Pidana Korporasi Atas Kejahatan Terhadap Lingkungan Hidup Perspektif Hukum Progresif, Mochammad Rafi Pravifjayanto

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

The environment as a place for humans to live certainly needs to be preserved and protected for its existence. In the context of statehood, the Indonesian Constitution guarantees the constitutional right of citizens to a clean environment. Thus, regulations as the face of the Indonesian constitution must not contradict the constitution. Juridically, Indonesia regulates life protection in Law Number 32 of 2009 concerning the Protection of Environmental Management. However, in its implementation, there are many violations of environmental management which in fact are carried out by corporations to obtain economic benefits. This study aims to analyze the corporate criminal responsibility …

Orientasi Rigid Dan Moderat Dalam Penafsiran Original Intent Dan Praktiknya Di Indonesia, Muhammad Alwi Khoiri Ramdani, Susi Dwi Harijanto, Lailani Sungkar

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

Metode original intent lazimnya menghasilkan penafsiran yang bersifat rigid sesuai niat perumusnya. Selama konstitusi tidak diubah, maka tafsiran original intent pun tidak berubah. Namun penggunaan metode penafsiran original intent di Indonesia dapat menghasilkan pemaknaan yang berbeda/berubah meskipun ketentuan konstitusi dan perumusnya tidak berganti. Hal ini terjadi karena terdapat perkembangan pemikiran dalam penerapan metode penafsiran original intent. Penelitian ini membahas mengenai perkembangan pemikiran tersebut dan menganalisa pola penerapan metode original intent dalam penafsiran konstitusi yang dilakukan oleh Mahkamah Konstitusi di Indonesia. Ini merupakan penelitian doktriner dengan pendekatan konsep dan kasus. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terdapat perkembangan pemikiran dalam penerapan metode penafsiran …

Some Issues In Armed Conflict And Human Rights: Issues Toward Human Rights And Applicable Law In The Battlefield, Hiroshi Saito

Japanese Society and Culture

In recent years, Japan’s legal system regarding defense has improved, but little research has been conducted on what would happen if Japanese territory became a battlefield. Due to the Japan–US Security Treaty and the Japan–US Status of Forces Agreement, Japanese territory could technically become a space for armed conflict in the wake of US military action. If this happened, various legal issues would arise, but under the Japanese Constitution and domestic laws, which are primarily concerned with the protection of human rights, there would be a dual application of international humanitarian law and domestic laws including the Constitution. An important …

The Regulatory Triad: Reimagining Environmental Law In The Post-Chevron Era, Shai Stern, Itay Biton

Villanova Environmental Law Journal (1991 - )

No abstract provided.

Get Your Act Together: The Alternative Fines Act In Federal Prosecutions Of Corporate Environmental Crimes, Josiah B. Harmar

Villanova Environmental Law Journal (1991 - )

No abstract provided.