Last night, The New York Times reported that prominent campaign-finance reformer Lawrence Lessig is considering a Democratic run for president. His civic-minded platform is simple, and his plan is rather curious. If he can raise $1 million in small donations by Labor Day, Lessig will run for president with the sole purpose of passing legislation-the […]
Justin Miller
Justin Miller covers politics and state government for the Texas Observer. He is a former Prospect writing fellow, and has also written for The Intercept, The New Republic, and In These Times. Follow @by_jmiller
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
The CEO Lobby Is Mad About the SEC’s Pay Ratio Rule
When Congress passed Dodd-Frank in 2010, the most substantial piece of Wall Street reform in years, it included a provision that required most publicly traded companies to disclose the compensation ratio between its CEO and its average worker-a symbolic measure that Democrats included as a way to shine light on income inequality. Last week (more […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Bernie Knows Repealing Citizens United Isn’t Enough. Does Anyone Else?
Earlier this week, Vermont Senator and Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders announced that he will introduce legislation that will create a robust public campaign-finance system in an attempt to beat back the unhinged influence of big money in the U.S. electoral system. “The need for real campaign finance reform is not a progressive issue. It […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
The Revolving Door Is Spinning Out of Control. Can It Be Slowed?
New legislation targets Wall Street’s influence in Washington.
Posted inWorking in America
The Guardian US Will Unionize. Can We Call This a Trend Now?
Staffers at the Guardian US unanimously voted yesterday to unionize with the News Media Guild, The Huffington Post reported. The vote is just the latest in a surge of recent union drives in the digital media world. Guardian US management voluntarily recognized the union effort, therefore negating the need to go through the formal channels […]
Posted inEconomic Policy
Dems Are Divided on Minimum Wage. But That’s Not Bad News
Last week, Bernie Sanders and other leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus introduced legislation that would raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020. The bill is not only the most ambitious wage hike legislation to come from the left, but it’s also indicative of the growing influence that the national Fight […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Zephyr Teachout on Getting Big Money Out of Politics
Zephyr Teachout talks Citizens United, public financing, and her new role heading Lawrence Lessig’s Mayday PAC.
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Federal Contract Workers Are Demanding a Big Raise. But Will They Get It?
The Fight for $15 comes to Washington.
Posted inEconomic Policy
From L.A. to New York (and in Between), $15 Moves Forward
From the West Coast to the East Coast, this has been a good week for the burgeoning Fight for $15 campaign. On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to raise its minimum wage to $15 by 2020 for those who work in the unincorporated areas of the county. This comes on the […]
Posted inEducation in America
In Latest Adjunct Organizing Victory, Barnard Faculty Plan to Unionize
More than 230 contingent faculty members at Barnard College will be able to vote to form a union with the United Auto Workers Local 2110 this September, according to an announcement today. Last month, contingent faculty filed for a union with the NLRB after the UAW said more than two-thirds of contingents had petitioned in […]