DOCSLIB.ORG

Voting Rights Act After the Supreme Court's Decision in Shelby County"

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

VOTING RIGHTS ACT AFTER THE SUPREME COURT’S DECISION IN SHELBY COUNTY HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE CONSTITUTION AND CIVIL JUSTICE OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION JULY 18, 2013 Serial No. 113–35 Printed for the use of the Committee on the Judiciary ( Available via the World Wide Web: http://judiciary.house.gov U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 81–983 PDF WASHINGTON : 2013 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY BOB GOODLATTE, Virginia, Chairman F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER, JR., JOHN CONYERS, JR., Michigan Wisconsin JERROLD NADLER, New York HOWARD COBLE, North Carolina ROBERT C. ‘‘BOBBY’’ SCOTT, Virginia LAMAR SMITH, Texas MELVIN L. WATT, North Carolina STEVE CHABOT, Ohio ZOE LOFGREN, California SPENCER BACHUS, Alabama SHEILA JACKSON LEE, Texas DARRELL E. ISSA, California STEVE COHEN, Tennessee J. RANDY FORBES, Virginia HENRY C. ‘‘HANK’’ JOHNSON, JR., STEVE KING, Iowa Georgia TRENT FRANKS, Arizona PEDRO R. PIERLUISI, Puerto Rico LOUIE GOHMERT, Texas JUDY CHU, California JIM JORDAN, Ohio TED DEUTCH, Florida TED POE, Texas LUIS V. GUTIERREZ, Illinois JASON CHAFFETZ, Utah KAREN BASS, California TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania CEDRIC RICHMOND, Louisiana TREY GOWDY, South Carolina SUZAN DelBENE, Washington MARK AMODEI, Nevada JOE GARCIA, Florida RAU´ L LABRADOR, Idaho HAKEEM JEFFRIES, New York BLAKE FARENTHOLD, Texas GEORGE HOLDING, North Carolina DOUG COLLINS, Georgia RON DeSANTIS, Florida JASON T. SMITH, Missouri SHELLEY HUSBAND, Chief of Staff & General Counsel PERRY APELBAUM, Minority Staff Director & Chief Counsel SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE CONSTITUTION AND CIVIL JUSTICE TRENT FRANKS, Arizona, Chairman JIM JORDAN, Ohio, Vice-Chairman STEVE CHABOT, Ohio JERROLD NADLER, New York J. RANDY FORBES, Virginia JOHN CONYERS, JR., Michigan STEVE KING, Iowa ROBERT C. ‘‘BOBBY’’ SCOTT, Virginia LOUIE GOHMERT, Texas STEVE COHEN, Tennessee RON DeSANTIS, Florida TED DEUTCH, Florida JASON T. SMITH, Missouri PAUL B. TAYLOR, Chief Counsel DAVID LACHMANN, Minority Staff Director (II) C O N T E N T S JULY 18, 2013 Page OPENING STATEMENTS The Honorable Trent Franks, a Representative in Congress from the State of Arizona, and Chairman, Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice ................................................................................................................... 1 The Honorable Jerrold Nadler, a Representative in Congress from the State of New York, and Ranking Member, Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice ................................................................................................... 2 The Honorable Bob Goodlatte, a Representative in Congress from the State of Virginia, and Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary ................................. 5 The Honorable John Conyers, Jr., a Representative in Congress from the State of Michigan, and Ranking Member, Committee on the Judiciary ......... 6 WITNESSES J. Christian Adams, Attorney Election Law Center, PLLC Oral Testimony ..................................................................................................... 8 Prepared Statement ............................................................................................. 10 Robert A. Kengle, Co-Director, Voting Rights Project, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Oral Testimony ..................................................................................................... 26 Prepared Statement ............................................................................................. 28 Hans A. von Spakovsky, Senior Legal Fellow, The Heritage Foundation Oral Testimony ..................................................................................................... 41 Prepared Statement ............................................................................................. 43 Spencer Overton, Professor of Law, The George Washington University Law School Oral Testimony ..................................................................................................... 52 Prepared Statement ............................................................................................. 54 APPENDIX MATERIAL SUBMITTED FOR THE HEARING RECORD Material submitted by the Honorable Jerrold Nadler, a Representative in Congress from the State of New York, and Ranking Member, Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice Prepared Statement of the Honorable Jerrold Nadler, a Representative in Congress from the State of New York, and Ranking Member, Sub- committee on the Constitution and Civil Justice ....................................... 73 Prepared Statement of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. ................................................................................................................. 75 Prepared Statement of the National Urban League ...................................... 84 Joint Prepared Statement of Asian Americans Advancing Justice and Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund ................................ 87 Letter from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) ........................................... 96 Prepared Statement of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) ........... 99 Prepared Statement of Gary R. Redding, Legal Fellow, on behalf of the Rural Coalition .............................................................................................. 108 (III) VOTING RIGHTS ACT AFTER THE SUPREME COURT’S DECISION IN SHELBY COUNTY THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE CONSTITUTION AND CIVIL JUSTICE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY Washington, DC. The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 11:06 a.m., in room 2141, Rayburn Office Building, the Honorable Trent Franks, (Chairman of the Subcommittee) presiding. Present: Representatives Franks, Goodlatte, Sensenbrenner, Chabot, King, Smith of Missouri, Conyers, Nadler, Scott, Watt, Jackson Lee, and Deutch. Also Present: Representative Lewis. Staff present: (Majority) Paul Taylor, Majority Counsel; Tricia White, Clerk; (Minority) David Lachmann, Subcommittee Staff Di- rector; and Veronica Eligan, Professional Staff Member. Mr. FRANKS. The Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice will come to order. Without objection, the Chair is authorized to declare recesses of the Committee at any time. I will now recognize myself for 5 minutes for an opening state- ment. In Shelby County v. Holder, the Supreme Court this term held that Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act, which sets out the formula that was used to determine which state and local governments must comply with the Voting Rights Act’s preclearance require- ments, is unconstitutional and can no longer be used. Those preclearance requirements made certain jurisdictions subject to special procedures when they changed their voting laws, such that they had to have their laws approved by the U.S. Attorney General or a three-judge panel of the U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia before those laws could go into effect. Section 4 set forth a formula for determining if a jurisdiction was covered by the preclearance requirements. That formula, based on data from 1965, applied the preclearance requirements to those states or political subdivisions that had maintained a test or device as a prerequisite to voting as of November 1st, 1964, and had less than 50 percent voter registration or turnout in the 1964 presi- dential election. (1) 2 In 1970, Congress reauthorized the Act for another 5 years and extended the coverage formula in Section 4 to jurisdictions that had a voting test and less than 50 percent voter registration or turnout as of 1968. In 1975, Congress reauthorized the Act for seven more years and extended its coverage to jurisdictions that had a voting test and less than 50 percent voter registration or turnout as of 1972. In 1982, Congress reauthorized the Act for 25 years, but did not alter its coverage formula. In 2006, Congress again reauthorized the Voting Rights Act for 25 years, again with- out changing its coverage formula. The Supreme Court majority in Shelby County wrote that, ‘‘the Framers of the Constitution intended the States to keep for them- selves, as provided in the 10th Amendment, the power to regulate elections,’’ and that states have ‘‘broad powers to determine the conditions under which the right of suffrage may be exercised.’’ It held that the Voting Rights Act departed from these basic prin- ciples by suspending, once again, ‘‘all changes to state election law, however innocuous, until they had been precleared by Federal au- thorities in Washington, D.C.’’ As the Court stated, ‘‘In 1966, we found these departures from the basic features of our system of government justified. At the time, the coverage formula, the means of linking the exercise of the unprecedented authority with the problem that warranted it, made sense. Nearly 50 years later, things have changed dramatically.’’ The Court noted that in the covered jurisdictions, ‘‘voter turnout and registration rates now approach parity. Blatantly discrimina- tory evasions of Federal decrees are rare, and minority candidates hold office at unprecedented levels. The tests and devices that blocked access to the ballot have been forbidden nationwide for over 40 years.’’ While the Court recognized that the 15th
Recommended publications
  • Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General Healthcare

    Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General Healthcare

    Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General Healthcare Inspection Post-Operative Paralysis Overton Brooks VA Medical Center Shreveport, Louisiana Report No. 10-03462-190 June 8, 2011 VA Office of Inspector General Washington, DC 20420 To Report Suspected Wrongdoing in VA Programs and Operations: Telephone: 1-800-488-8244 E-Mail: [email protected] (Hotline Information: http://www.va.gov/oig/contacts/hotline.asp) Post-Operative Paralysis, Overton Brooks VA Medical Center, Shreveport, Louisiana Executive Summary The VA Office of Inspector General Office of Healthcare Inspections conducted an inspection to determine the validity of an allegation regarding post-operative paralysis at the Overton Brooks VA Medical Center (the medical center), Shreveport, LA. A complainant alleged that a patient could not move his lower extremities after the insertion of an epidural catheter (small hollow tube used to inject anesthetic between the spinal canal and spinal cord). The complainant believed that the catheter caused the patient’s paralysis. We did not substantiate the allegation. However, we found that the patient’s paralysis may have resulted from a prolonged period of hypotension (low blood pressure) in the intensive care unit (ICU). We concluded that the hypotension was poorly monitored and should have been treated more aggressively. During our review, we found that ICU nursing staff did not document required patient assessments. There was no documentation of the mean arterial pressures needed to adjust medications prescribed for low blood pressure, no documentation of the epidural catheter or of neurological assessments, and inconsistent documentation of verbal orders and administered medications. In addition, we found that the medical center’s system of reporting and evaluating adverse events needed improvement.
  • Hong Kong's Pro-Democracy Protests

    Hong Kong's Pro-Democracy Protests

    Protests & Democracy: Hong Kong’s Pro-Democracy Protests Jennifer Yi Advisor: Professor Tsung Chi Politics Senior Comprehensive Project Candidate for Honors consideration April 10, 2015 2 Abstract Protests that occur in the public sphere shed light on the different types of democracy that exist in a region. A protester’s reason for participation demonstrates what type of democracy is missing, while a protest itself demonstrates what type of democracy exists in the region. This Politics Senior Comprehensive Project hypothesizes that the recent pro-democracy protests in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (“Hong Kong”), dubbed the Umbrella Movement, demonstrate an effective democracy due to active citizen engagement within the public sphere. Data is collected through personal interviews of Umbrella Movement participants that demonstrate what type of democracy currently exists in Hong Kong, what type of democracy protesters are looking for, and what type of democracy exists as a result of the recent protests. The interviews show that a true representative and substantive democracy do not exist in Hong Kong as citizens are not provided the democratic rights that define these types of democracy. However, the Umbrella Movement demonstrates an effective democracy in the region as citizens actively engage with one another within the public sphere for the purpose of achieving a representative and substantive democracy in Hong Kong. 3 I. Introduction After spending most of my junior year studying in Hong Kong, I have become very interested in the region and its politics. I am specifically interested in the different types of democracy that exist in Hong Kong as it is a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China (“China”).
  • The Electoral Authoritarian Regimes and Election Violence: the Case of Manicaland Communities in Zimbabwe 2008-2013

    The Electoral Authoritarian Regimes and Election Violence: the Case of Manicaland Communities in Zimbabwe 2008-2013

    The Electoral Authoritarian Regimes and election violence: The case of Manicaland Communities in Zimbabwe 2008-2013. Inaugural-Dissertation zur Erlangung der Doktorwürde der Philosophischen Fakultät der Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg i. Br. vorgelegt von Alexander Chimange aus Kwekwe (Zimbabwe) SS 2015 Erstgutacher: Prof. Dr. Reinhart Kößler Zweitgutachter: Prof. Dr. Heribert Weiland Vorsitzender des Promotionsausschusses der Gemeinsamen Kommission der Philologischen, Philosophischen und Wirtschafts- und Verhaltenswissenschaftlichen Fakultät: Prof. Dr. Hans-Helmuth Gander Datum der Fachprüfung im Promotionsfach: 19.01.2016 ABSTRACT The Zimbabwean elections have been marred by unprecedented acts of election violence, intimidation, coercion, harassment and manipulation and this has systematically disenfranchised the citizenry from the much-desired democratic transition. These acts of violence have reversed the government’s efforts and commitment to democratize the country which had been under an autocratic colonial regime for almost one hundred years. This localized empirical research study explores and unpacks the dynamics of the 2008-2013 election violence in the communities of Manicaland in Zimbabwe. The study also examines the socio-economic and political effects of election violence on the lives of the people. The aims and objectives of the study have been achieved basically through an in-depth empirical exploration of the people’s election violence experiences in three Manicaland communities, namely Nyamaropa, Honde Valley and Mhakwe. The data collection process was carried out in 2013 from May to December. This period also covered a crucial general election that marked an end to the Government of National Unity established in 2009 after the bloody 2008 election violence. The primary data was collected through qualitative in- depth interviews in the three communities with people with impeccable experience and vast knowledge of state-sponsored election violence.
  • Congressional Record—Senate S3451

    Congressional Record—Senate S3451

    May 26, 2011 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S3451 SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS Mink, the first Asian-American Congress- (2) encourages the celebration during woman, and Norman Y. Mineta, the first Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month of Asian-American member of a presidential the significant contributions Asian-Ameri- SENATE RESOLUTION 200—RECOG- cabinet, have made significant strides in the cans and Pacific Islanders have made to the NIZING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF political and military realms; United States; and THE DESIGNATION OF THE Whereas the Presidential Cabinet of the (3) recognizes that the Asian-American and Obama Administration includes a record 3 Pacific Islander community strengthens and MONTH OF MAY AS ASIAN/PA- Asian-Americans, including Secretary of En- enhances the rich diversity of the United CIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE ergy Steven Chu, Secretary of Commerce States. MONTH Gary Locke, and Secretary of Veterans Af- f Mr. AKAKA (for himself, Mr. INOUYE, fairs Eric Shinseki; Whereas in 2011, the Congressional Asian SENATE RESOLUTION 201—EX- Mrs. MURRAY, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, and Mr. Pacific American Caucus, a bicameral cau- PRESSING THE REGRET OF THE REID of Nevada) submitted the fol- cus of Members of Congress advocating on SENATE FOR THE PASSAGE OF lowing resolution; which was referred behalf of Asian-Americans and Pacific Is- DISCRIMINATORY LAWS to the Committee on the Judiciary: landers, includes 30 Members of Congress; AGAINST THE CHINESE IN AMER- S. RES. 200 Whereas Asian-Americans and Pacific Is- ICA, INCLUDING THE CHINESE Whereas each May, the people of the landers have made history by assuming of- EXCLUSION ACT fice in a number of new and historically sig- United States join together to pay tribute to Mr.
  • May 20, 2020 the Honorable Mitch Mcconnell the Honorable Nancy Pelosi S-230, the Capitol Main Office Washington, DC

    May 20, 2020 the Honorable Mitch Mcconnell the Honorable Nancy Pelosi S-230, the Capitol Main Office Washington, DC

    The Honorable Kay Ivey, Governor of Alabama (Chair) The Honorable Mike Dunleavy, Governor of Alaska (Vice Chair) The Honorable Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas The Honorable Tate Reeves, Governor of Mississippi The Honorable John Bel Edwards, Governor of Louisiana May 20, 2020 The Honorable Mitch McConnell The Honorable Nancy Pelosi S-230, The Capitol Main Office Washington, DC 20510 H-232, The Capitol Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable John Thune The Honorable Steny Hoyer S-208, The Capitol H-107, The Capitol Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable Charles E. Schumer The Honorable Kevin McCarthy S-221, The Capitol H-204, The Capitol Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable Richard J. Durbin The Honorable Steve Scalise S-321, The Capitol H-148, The Capitol Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20515 Dear Senate and House Leaders: As our states and the nation continue to grapple with the economic and health impacts from the COVID-19 virus, it is more crucial than ever to continue to find ways to stimulate our respective economies and provide relief for our families and businesses. Further, it is vital that we continue to supply the country with energy to meet our critical needs. To help achieve these critical goals, the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Governors Coalition offers its continued support for efforts to increase revenue sharing to support coastal states responsible for energy production on the OCS. The Coalition urges you to consider the impacted coastal resources in these states and to include these needs in additional stimulus legislative relief and recovery packages.
  • The Truth About Voter Fraud 7 Clerical Or Typographical Errors 7 Bad “Matching” 8 Jumping to Conclusions 9 Voter Mistakes 11 VI

    The Truth About Voter Fraud 7 Clerical Or Typographical Errors 7 Bad “Matching” 8 Jumping to Conclusions 9 Voter Mistakes 11 VI

    Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law ABOUT THE BRENNAN CENTER FOR JUSTICE The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law is a non-partisan public policy and law institute that focuses on fundamental issues of democracy and justice. Our work ranges from voting rights to redistricting reform, from access to the courts to presidential power in the fight against terrorism. A sin- gular institution—part think tank, part public interest law firm, part advocacy group—the Brennan Center combines scholarship, legislative and legal advocacy, and communications to win meaningful, measurable change in the public sector. ABOUT THE BRENNAN CENTER’S VOTING RIGHTS AND ELECTIONS PROJECT The Voting Rights and Elections Project works to expand the franchise, to make it as simple as possible for every eligible American to vote, and to ensure that every vote cast is accurately recorded and counted. The Center’s staff provides top-flight legal and policy assistance on a broad range of election administration issues, including voter registration systems, voting technology, voter identification, statewide voter registration list maintenance, and provisional ballots. © 2007. This paper is covered by the Creative Commons “Attribution-No Derivs-NonCommercial” license (see http://creativecommons.org). It may be reproduced in its entirety as long as the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law is credited, a link to the Center’s web page is provided, and no charge is imposed. The paper may not be reproduced in part or in altered form, or if a fee is charged, without the Center’s permission.
  • The Donor Class: Campaign Finance, Democracy, and Participation

    The Donor Class: Campaign Finance, Democracy, and Participation

    THE DONOR CLASS: CAMPAIGN FINANCE, DEMOCRACY, AND PARTICIPATION † SPENCER OVERTON As a result of disparities in resources, a small, wealthy, and homogenous donor class makes large contributions that fund the bulk of American politics. Even in the aftermath of recent campaign reforms, the donor class effectively de- termines which candidates possess the resources to run viable campaigns. This reality undermines the democratic value of widespread participation. Instead of preventing “corruption” or equalizing funds between candidates, the primary goal of campaign reform should be to reduce the impact of wealth disparities and empower more citizens to participate in the funding of campaigns. On av- erage, candidates should receive a larger percentage of their funds from a greater number of people in smaller contribution amounts. Reforms such as es- tablishing matching funds and providing tax credits for smaller contributions, combined with emerging technology, would enable more Americans to make con- tributions and would enhance their voices in our democracy. INTRODUCTION Opponents of campaign finance reform embrace a relatively lais- sez-faire reliance on private markets to fund campaigns for public of- fice. Although they champion the individual rights of those who con- † Associate Professor of Law, The George Washington University Law School. Mi- chael Abramowicz, Mark Alexander, Brandon Briscoe, Kim Christensen, Richard Ha- sen, Adam Lioz, Ira Lupu, Leslie Overton, Josiah Slotnick, Dan Solove, and Fane Wolfer read earlier drafts of this
  • LWVUS HR 1 Support Letter November 2020

    LWVUS HR 1 Support Letter November 2020

    November 23, 2020 To: Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate From: Virginia Kase, Chief Executive Officer Subject: Support for the For the People Act (H.R. 1, S. 949) in the 117th Congress Dear Senator or Representative: The League of Women Voters of the United States writes in strong support of the For the People Act (H.R.1/S.949), the transformational democracy reform package that would help return power to everyday American families. We strongly urge you to prioritize passage of this pro-voter, anti-corruption legislation in the 117th Congress. Along with the passage of the For the People Act, Congress must also prioritize the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act (H.R.4) and legislation granting statehood to Washington, D.C. (H.R.51). Throughout our nearly 100-year history, the League of Women Voters has worked to “level the playing field” of our election system by registering new citizens to vote, fighting unfair district maps in court, and advocating in Congress for fair election processes. The 2020 election underscores the urgent need for transformational democracy reform. Across the nation, Americans experienced unprecedented voter suppression, historic levels of dark money spent to drown out the voices of everyday Americans, and rampant ethical abuses by special interests. One sweeping bill, the For the People Act, addresses many of these problems. This historic legislation passed the House of Representatives with unanimous Democratic support in March 2019 and was cosponsored by all members of the Senate Democratic Caucus. The League of Women Voters is very excited at the prospect of the reintroduction and the final passage of the For the People Act because it aims to include elements that align with many of the League’s long-held positions, like election modernization and redistricting reform.
  • In the Supreme Court of the United States

    In the Supreme Court of the United States

    No. 17-965 In the S upreme Court of the United States DONALD J. TRUMP , PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES , ET AL ., petitioners v. STATE OF HAWAII , ET AL ., respondents On Writ of Certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit BRIEF OF AMICI CURIAE EVAN MCMULLIN, ANNE APPLEBAUM, MAX BOOT, LINDA CHAVEZ, ELIOT COHEN, MINDY FINN, JULEANNA GLOVER, NORMAN ORNSTEIN, MICHAEL STEELE, CHARLIE SYKES, AND JERRY TAYLOR IN SUPPORT OF RESPONDENTS R. REEVES ANDERSON JOHN B. BELLINGER , III ARNOLD & PORTER Counsel of Record KAYE SCHOLER LLP ELLIOTT C. MOGUL 370 Seventeenth St. KAITLIN KONKEL Suite 4400 ARNOLD & PORTER Denver, CO 80202 KAYE SCHOLER LLP (303) 863-1000 601 Mass. Ave., NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 942-5000 [email protected] Counsel for Amici Curiae TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Interest of Amici Curiae .............................................. 1 Introduction and Summary of Argument ................... 2 Argument ..................................................................... 4 I. EO-3 contravenes the prohibition on nationality-based discrimination that Congress, with support from almost all Republicans, adopted in 1965 ................................ 5 A. Congress intended to eliminate “all vestiges of discrimination against any national group” from our immigration system ............................................................... 6 1. Members of both parties, and Republicans in particular, strenuously repudiated the discriminatory policies that predated the 1965 Act ......................... 7 2. The 1965 Act rectified missteps in U.S. immigration policy ............................ 12 3. The principles underlying the 1965 Act are now fundamental to our national identity ........................................ 16 B. EO-3 runs afoul of Congress’s nondiscrimination guarantee ......................... 18 II. The President may not substitute his alternative policy judgments for Congress’s comprehensive statutory immigration scheme ..
  • Electoral Manipulation and Regime Support: Survey Evidence from Russia

    Electoral Manipulation and Regime Support: Survey Evidence from Russia

    Electoral Manipulation and Regime Support: Survey Evidence from Russia Ora John Reuter David Szakonyi University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee George Washington University & Higher School of Economics & Higher School of Economics November 30, 2020∗ Abstract Does electoral fraud stabilize authoritarian rule or undermine it? The answer to this ques- tion rests, in part, on how voters evaluate regime candidates who engage in fraud. Using a survey experiment conducted after the 2016 elections in Russia, we find that voters withdraw their support from ruling party candidates who commit electoral fraud. This effect is especially large among strong supporters of the regime. Core regime supporters are more likely to have ex ante beliefs that elections are free and fair. Revealing that fraud has occurred significantly reduces their propensity to support the regime. These findings illustrate that fraud is costly for autocrats not just because it may ignite protest, but also because it can undermine the regime’s core base of electoral support. Because many of its strongest supporters expect free and fair elections, the regime has strong incentives to conceal or otherwise limit its use of electoral fraud. WORD COUNT: 10,623 ∗Author Affiliations: Ora John Reuter, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and the International Center for the Study of Institutions and Development at the Higher School of Economics; David Szakonyi, Assistant Professor of Political Science, George Washington University and the International Center for the Study of Institutions and De- velopment at the Higher School of Economics. We gratefully acknowledge financial support for this project from the Basic Research Program of the National Research University–Higher School of Economics.
  • Administration of Barack Obama, 2012 Remarks Following a Tour of Hurricane Damage in Saint John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana September 3, 2012

    Administration of Barack Obama, 2012 Remarks Following a Tour of Hurricane Damage in Saint John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana September 3, 2012

    Administration of Barack Obama, 2012 Remarks Following a Tour of Hurricane Damage in Saint John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana September 3, 2012 Well, good afternoon, everybody. I want to just say, first of all, how proud I am to be joined by Governor Jindal, Senator Mary Landrieu, Senator David Vitter, Representative Cedric Richmond. We've got Mayor Mitch Landrieu of New Orleans, Saint John the Baptist Parish President Natalie Robottom, and we've also got Saint John the Baptist Sheriff Mike Tregre. As you can see, there has been enormous devastation in Saint John's Parish, and that's not the only place that's been hard hit. We've also seen enormous damage in Plaquemines Parish and in other parts of Louisiana and Mississippi. I want to commend everybody who's here for the extraordinary work that they've done in making sure that lives were saved, that although there was tremendous property damage, people were in a position to get out quickly and, as you can see, folks are on the ground already clearing out the debris and making sure that they're able to recover as rapidly as possible. I want to particularly thank FEMA and the State and local authorities, because sometimes in the past, we haven't seen the kind of coordination that is necessary in response to these kinds of disasters. This time we've seen it. We made sure that we had the disaster declarations happen quickly so that we weren't behind the eight ball. We've approved individual assistance for this area, which means that these folks, if they've suffered additional losses beyond what they're insured for, that they are potentially eligible for some help.
  • April 8, 2020 the Honorable Sonny Perdue Secretary U.S. Department

    April 8, 2020 the Honorable Sonny Perdue Secretary U.S. Department

    April 8, 2020 The Honorable Sonny Perdue Secretary U.S. Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20250 Dear Secretary Perdue, Thank you for your continued support of our farmers and food supply chains during this unprecedented health crisis. As you know, Congress provided the USDA with $9.5 billion in the CARES Act to support agricultural producers impacted by the Coronavirus. As Members of Congress from Louisiana, we wanted to highlight an industry that has been acutely impacted by the virus and should be considered for assistance: crawfish. The U.S. crawfish industry is largely seasonal and relies heavily on direct-to-consumer markets, such as restaurants, large social gatherings, caterers, festivals, and farmers markets. Government orders to close restaurants to dine-in customers and CDC limitations on social gatherings have directly impacted this industry. Many producers have seen prices plummet by more than $1.00 per pound and face average losses of more than $400 per acre by season’s end. Taken together, this amounts to a roughly 60 percent loss in market value during the peak of crawfish season. The Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, and the Louisiana State University AgCenter are working to further quantify the impact of these losses. The crawfish industry provides more than $305 million to Louisiana’s economy and, although the industry is mostly concentrated in our state, Louisiana crawfish farmers provide crawfish to restaurants and Americans for consumption all across the country. Without assistance, the short- term losses caused directly by the Coronavirus could lead to permanent loss of markets and impact the long-term health of the industry.