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PIPE* Research: Abby K. Wood, USC, Gould School of Law

Campaign Finance Transparency Affects Legislators’ Election Outcomes and Behavior Do audits by executive agencies impact the behavior of those audited? Does revealing negative information about legislators affect electoral results and behavior? Institutions that encourage transparency, such as campaign finance disclosure, influence mass and elite behavior. We theorize that greater transparency Read more…

The Myth of Independence

Congressional historian Sarah Binder joins neighbor and investment manager, Matt Spindel in a look at the history of the relationship between the Federal Reserve and its legislative parent, Congress. The result is the Princeton University Press book The Myth of Independence: How Congress Governs the Federal Reserve.

To listen to the Bedrosian Book Club discussion of The Myth of Independence, click the arrow in the player on this post. Or you can download it and subscribe through ApplePodcasts, Soundcloud, Google Play, Stitcher or your favorite podcasting app!

Transparency and the Federal Election Commission

Does transparency enhance the ability for voters to evaluate candidates for office, and reward those candidates who are transparent and honest? Did the random audit policy formerly used by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) have positive benefits for both citizens and candidates?  We theorize that increased transparency creates a stronger democratic process by providing more information to voters about candidates.

Police State

While much attention has been given to the premise that young black men are particularly susceptible to being the target of these acts of police brutality, the problem is not confined to any particular demographic group, as people of all ages, genders, and ethnicities are subjected to violent treatment at the hands of American law enforcement officers.  In fact, the frequency and pervasiveness of these incidents suggest that something is very wrong with the state of the police in this country.

The Demise of California Redevelopment Law, and the Repackaging of Tax Increments for California Municipalities

by Frank Zerunyan originally posted on PUBLICCEO, March 24, 2015 On June 28, 2011, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law two bills that effectively dissolved all California Redevelopment Agencies (RDAs). Through the California Redevelopment Association and the League of California Cities, local governments challenged the constitutionality of the two laws (ABx1 Read more…

On the release of memos

by Jeremy Loudenback Best in Governance  U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in New York  Release of the drone memo As the Obama administration has expanded the scope of its worldwide drone war campaign to include American citizens, information about the drone strikes, including the targeting process and legal Read more…

A Game of Drones

by Jeremy Loudenback Much better known as a controversial U.S. military strategy to target members of insurgent groups across the world in the expansive “War on Terror,” drones are now creeping into domestic policy conversations around policy, privacy, and governance. Earlier this week, revelations surfaced about the use of drones by Read more…

Lessons of Bell

Governance Reform, Accountability, & Transparency October 4, 2010 Co-Sponsored by SoCal ASPA The LA Times reporters who broke the story about the Bell scandal, a USC expert in administrative ethics, the executive director of the state league of cities and a state legislator who introduced reform legislation will gather for Read more…

Bedrosian Center