An article by Sam Kleiner posted yesterday on the New Republic’s website is titled “John Roberts shows he has no idea how money works in politics.” Mr. Kleiner must not understand the real purpose of the Conservative Movement’s decades-long crusade against campaign-finance laws. In fact, Roberts showed in McCutcheon v. FEC (yet again) that he […]
No, Mr. Kleiner, John Roberts showed that he knows perfectly well how money works in politics.
The REAL news from the McCutcheon v. FEC opinion
“There is no right more basic in our democracy than the right to participate in electing our political leaders.” That’s how Roberts began the opinion. So I guess we can now assume that the Court will strike down all those voter-ID laws that so clearly impact that most basic of rights, and will do so […]
OK, so what exactly does the APPEARANCE of quid pro quo corruption look like? Y’know, as opposed to the real thing.
John Roberts wrote in yesterday’s opinion in McCutcheon v. FEC that Congress may still “regulate campaign contributions to protect against corruption or the appearance of corruption.” He then limited “corruption” to an actual quid pro quo. Which raises the question of what, exactly, the appearance of quid pro quo corruption looks like. Y’know, as opposed […]
Supreme Court rules on caps
Via the New York Times comes this chart from the Federal Election Committee on the Supreme Court ruling on caps to political contributions.
What is Seth Klarman seeing?
Seth Klarman’s work is to take money from clients and invest it. Yet, he made news recently by returning some $4 billion back to his clients. He did not want to invest their money. Why would he do such a thing when it is his job to invest money? He says the market is not […]
Overhead Allocation vs. Theft
by J Tsimeskes Overhead Allocation vs. Theft I was readingDean Baker’s excellent post today on high speed trading. My initial reaction was that this was simply theft, high frequency traders supply absolutely no value to anyone but reduce the gains made by legitimate traders. The first comment, however, made me think. SteveB asks “I don’t […]
Open thread April 2, 2014
Oxytocin and lying from a psychology and ECONOMICS study center researcher
I am posting this because the source of this study caught my attention. It is out of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and the University of Amsterdam, Psychologists Dr. Shaul Shalvi and Dr. Carsten K. W. De Dreu respectfully. Dr. Shalvi is the head of BGU’s Center for Decision- Making and Economic Psychology. […]
Watch oral arguments in the Hobby Lobby Supreme Court case in four minutes of video!
That’s right, folks. It’s right here.