It is generally believed that media organizations are exempt from the reporting requirements of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (“LDA”) since their purpose is to gather and disseminate news and information to the public. This may have been a correct conclusion in 1995 when these organizations functioned as quality news organizations, operating under strict…
A USA Today headline read “Many Federal Employees More Likely to Die Than Be Fired.” It reported that federal employees were fired at the rate of 0.55%, a rate so low that deaths outnumbered firings. Two significant agencies had zero firings. Should any American have a property right to a federal job for life? Citizens elect…
California’s November 15, 2019 lawsuit against EPA over its legal authority to impose higher automobile fuel efficiency standards than the rest of the nation is less about environmental protection and more about a fight for national leadership. With four car manufacturers supporting California in the litigation and three manufacturers supporting EPA; it is the perfect…
Citizens instinctively mistrust the government. Citizens believe the government is failing them. The public is ready for a major third-party. The real question is whether the Libertarian party wants to assume that role? A year ago, Austin Petersen and Tony D’Orazio wrote excellent point, counterpoint articles in The Libertarian Republic addressing the question – Can Libertarians Win? That question should be asked…
Does an October 11, 2019 press release from the Commission on Presidential Debates (“CPD”) announcing its 2020 debate schedule, and a recent court opinion, provide a glimpse into who controls our government? The CPD press release reiterates Federal Election Commission (“FEC”) requirements that candidate participation in Presidential debates be made on the basis of “pre-established,…
This is the last of five articles discussing options for breaking the monopoly control of our government by the two major political parties. This article examines an emerging, state electoral process, formerly named a “Non-partisan Blanket Primary.” Its common name is “jungle primary.” In this primary all candidates for the same elected office, no matter…
This series of articles explores options to break the monopoly control of our government by the two major political parties. The first article describes the monopoly. The second discusses tactics used to maintain the monopoly. The third article suggests using a civil rights law to secure reasonably permanent ballot access and compensation for injury. This…
Part I of this series describes the two major political parties as possessing monopoly control of our government. Part II discusses the tactics used by states and the two major parties to maintain such control. This article explores how to break such control. Third-parties have fought to obtain ballot access for over a century. It…
Part I of this series sets out the fact that independent and third-party candidates only hold 0.0003246% of all elected offices. The two major parties, Republican and Democratic, hold 99.96%. It appears from history that such control has been obtained by violating the constitutional rights of third-party candidates and could be a monopoly that restrains…
This article is the first in a series of articles addressing the question of how do Americans get control of their country from the Republican and Democratic parties (“R&D parties”) who have so manipulated election laws that the two parties have complete control of the government of the United States. People think of monopolies/duopolies in…