Measuring political influence is a hard problem. And depending on how you set about measuring it, you can come to very different conclusions.
Continue readingPublic universities, for-profit colleges seek higher stake in student loans
Younger voters are notoriously disinterested in the political process. But an analysis of student loan lobbying suggests that major players in the political process are interested in them.
Continue readingNo, less disclosure will not reduce dark money
I’ve seen some odd arguments for limited disclosure over the years, but this may be just about the strangest and most divorced from reality.
Continue readingLabor is split on supporting Keystone XL, but not on lobbying for it
Unions may be publicly divided on Keystone XL, but when lawmakers hear from labor's lobbyists in Washington, they hear that labor loves Keystone.
Continue readingIn Washington lobbying, pro-Keystone XL advocates dwarf pipeline opponents
When looking at inside-the-Beltway influence, pro-Keystone XL advocates dwarf pipeline opponents by a wide margin.
Continue readingIs the Ex-Im bank really doomed? Not likely, if you look at historical lobbying efforts
If lobbying's any indication, the Export-Import bank won't go away anytime soon. A Sunlight Foundation analysis of the 20 organizations that have lobbied the most on the Ex-Im bank shows that 19 of 20 support the bank.
Continue readingFive takeaways from a new campaign finance report
The campaign finance legal landscape has changed a lot in the last few years. But how? A new report from Daniel Tokaji and Renata Strause at The Ohio State University’s Election Law @ Moritz provides an excellent overview.
Continue readingCongress has very few working class members. Here’s why that matters
I spend lots of time thinking about pressures that lawmakers face in office, and the donors who fund them. After reading Nicholas Carnes’ book, White-Collar Government, maybe I should think more about who runs for office in the first place.
Continue readingHow telecoms and cable have dominated net neutrality lobbying
With the FCC's proposal threatening net neutrality, lobbying activity looks like it's reached a fevered pitch. But for the organizations involved, especially telecom companies, lobbying has been at a fevered pitch for a decade.
Continue readingWhy is our tax code so lame? Or, what we can learn from Caterpillar and Dave Camp
There's a strong relationship between how much companies lobby and how little they pay in taxes — and that's not likely to change anytime soon.
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