Angry Bear Spencer England commented on Tim Duy’s post… Very good wrap-up.   There is virtually no evidence that the economy is breaking out of the past few years very sluggish growth. One For the Doves, by Tim Duy: The March employment report came in pretty much in line with expectations. Nonfarm payrolls gained by 192k, […]

The quotes in this post’s subject line are very much intended as a double entendre. I’m of course referring to the title of Piketty’s book (which I’ve read about 80% of, jumping around). But even more, I’m talking about his definition of “capital.” I’ve ranted frequently about economists’ failure to define this term or agree on […]

Back in 2008 cactus wrote Back at you on the GM argument. Reader Jack sends this note on 2014: Proof positive that the UAW is/was(?) the cause of car maker’s demise!! That’s how I’d put it to all those out there that still harbor the idea that the poor performance of much of the American […]

If the president is to be taken seriously, it’s time for him to make campaign finance a centerpiece of the upcoming campaign. Despite appearances, serious reform remains possible within the new limits set out by the Roberts court. Obama should take full advantage of the chief justice’s explicit recognition that the “appearance of corruption” serves […]

Pretty good company to be in! Friday round-up The Court’s decision on Wednesday in McCutcheon v. FEC, striking down the aggregate limits on contributions to political parties, political action committees, and candidates for federal office, continues to dominate coverage of, and commentary on, the Court.  Yesterday this blog kicked off its symposium on the decision […]

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 […]

“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 […]

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 […]

Via the New York Times comes this chart from the Federal Election Committee on the Supreme Court ruling on caps to political contributions.