this was the worst thing to happen in american history

There is nothing lobbyists hate more than being left in the lobby. Let's put them back there where they belong.

Repeal President Nixon's 1970 Legislative Reorganization Act.

congressionalresearch.org/Citations.html

On balance, we conclude that housing-policy salience is bad news for YIMBYs.

State-level versions of what Matthew Yglesias calls 'The Secret Congress' hold much more promise.
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slowboring.com/p/the-rise-and…

3. We find little evidence of partisan polarization on YIMBYish policies. This lack of polarization creates the ideological room for 'Secret Congress'-type dealmaking in state legislatures. Important!
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It seems that sunshine grows lobbyists.

Some call Article 1, Section 5, Clause 3 of the Constitution 'The Journal Clause.'

The framers did not have a name for it.

But, if you follow the Constitutional Convention, the ratification debates, and later comments by Madison and Hamilton, that these 56 words should

When billionaires fund open government, who benefits?

Billionaires and lobbyists thrive on open government.

1 of 2 / Ohio State University law professor Steven Huefner at NCSL program: #Opengov is generally the right way to go. But ...

Washington Journal why were those politicians targeted? What triggered the investigation?

My first post to go platinum.

IMO transparency is one of the most overrated ideas in governance.

Love this suggestion of anonymous congressional votes.

slowboring.com/p/the-take-bak…

The “secret congress” theory holds that a successful compromise can happen as long as no one makes a fuss over it.

Here we (quietly) applaud the rather good tax deal that the House of Representatives passed by an overwhelming margin econ.st/3OD1AqE 👇

James G. D'Angelo Jennifer Senior

Which is why you'd give a standing citizen assembly the right to compel a secret ballot on any public vote or either chamber with which it disagreed.

An idea of mine that Rory Stewart has picked up nicholasgruen.substack.com/i/138958537/ro…

Nice to see folks catching up to novelty of the Framers in 1787 and article 1 of the Constitution which endorses secrecy - 'Each House shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and from time to time publish the same, excepting such parts as may in their judgment require secrecy.'

The secret ballot, but for members of Congress.

slowboring.com/p/the-take-bak…

“The best way to drain the swamp and reverse the rise in inequality is to simply ask the lobbyists to step back into the lobby and then gently close the doors.” Absolutely worth reading!

Greg Perhaps it had something to do with this?
congressionalresearch.org/Citations.html

Ashley Schapitl I expect now that TurboTax and their minions lose power, and lobby less, we will even see greater simplification of our tax laws.

Based on the Secret Congress theory, any proposal boosted by the President's 'bully pulpit' risks instant knee-jerk partisan poisoning

To avoid that, I'm actually relieved that Biden is not going to look directly into the camera & say 'I am exactly the correct kind of YIMBY'