American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast

The Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause was Intended to Stop Bribery and Corruption. Recently, Not So Much.

November 26, 2024November 26, 2024

The framers of the U.S. Constitution included the Foreign Emoluments Clause because they feared the influence, corruption and bribery they witnessed in Europe’s monarchies. Why should Americans care about it?

The Presidential Transition Turns Into One Big Dark Money Special Interest Swamp

November 25, 2024November 25, 2024

Federal election law governs campaign contributions directly to Presidential candidates. But when an incoming administration refuses to follow the Presidential transition rules, those contributions become an unregulated spigot of special interest dark money.

Alaska’s Ranked Choice Voting and ‘Top 4’ Open Primaries Survive Repeal Referendum – By a Whisker

November 24, 2024November 24, 2024

With a razor-thin statewide margin of 664 votes, ranked choice voting and open primaries weathered a repeal challenge in Alaska, one of the few democracy reforms to survive the 2024 Presidential election cycle.

AZ U.S. Senate Candidate & Election Denier’s Streak of Election & Courtroom Losses Continues, But Kari Lake May Still Resurface in DC

November 21, 2024November 21, 2024

One of the most strident election deniers and ardent Trump supporters lost her Arizona U.S. Senate race November 5th. But Kari Lake still has not conceded, and may yet resurface in Washington in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration.

SCOTUS Turns Down Case Challenging Alaska’s Dark Money Disclosure Law. Great News for Voters and a Possibly a Future Case in Maine.

November 20, 2024November 20, 2024

A 2020 Alaska ballot initiative took steps to shine a light on dark money campaign funding. The U.S. Supreme Court just turned down a challenge to that law, and it may be good news for an expected case in Maine.