There is a rich literature around what is known as the primacy effect that indicates being first on the ballot is helpful. To counter this effect, many states randomize the order of candidate names by voting district.
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In the Middle with Joey Bloch: Julia Sass Rubin Talks County Organizational Line
Rutgers Edward J. Bloustein School of Public Policy Associate Dean Julia Sass Rubin joins Joey to discuss the Third Circuit Court of Appeals upholding the decision to strike down the County Organizational Line for this year’s Democratic Primary, the upcoming case that could get rid of it permanently and how to engage the average voter in an office block system.
Assembly speaker’s law firm has made millions since he took power. Critics cry foul.
“If you think that his being part of the firm has no impact on the fact that they’re getting this business, then I guess it doesn’t matter,” said Julia Sass Rubin, a professor at Rutgers’ Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. “That seems a little unlikely.”
Rubin Op Ed: What Must Be Done to Turn New Jersey into a Real Democracy?
“First and foremost, candidate order matters. There is a rich literature around what is known as the primacy effect that indicates being first on the ballot is helpful. To counter this effect, many states randomize the order of candidate names by voting district. This is easily done by computer and the process of ballot creation is quick, inexpensive, and fair.”
The End of the Line: New Jersey ballots change for the better
We should recognize just how low the bar is right now, and how dysfunctional democracy in New Jersey—and in the United States more generally—is likely to remain for the foreseeable future. – Matt Mazewski
NJ residents want transparency in government. That much is clear
“I do think that there is an opening for real reforms,” Rubin said. “I’m not naïve. I don’t think it’s like a switch is going to go off.”
Stamato Commentary: Freedom to read is freedom to think. It’s time for NJ lawmakers to protect both
“Across the nation, folks are using the power of the state to limit access to books, pressuring libraries to take books out of circulation. And school boards are considering demands to remove certain books from classroom reading and discussion. Taking a long historical perspective, it’s really nothing new. But it’s no less dangerous.”
Rubin Opinion: Making New Jersey a real democracy
Taken together, these five reforms would help vanquish the powerful grip that political machines have long had on our state.
Marc Pfeiffer Weighs in on Essex County COVID-19 Funding Issues
“Not enough resources were spent to manage those contracts to ensure that controls were in place and there was monitoring done to prevent that type of a circumstance from happening,” Pfeiffer said.
Despite big changes, those who make N.J.’s laws still don’t reflect the state’s diversity
New Jersey is widely considered one of the most diverse states in the nation — but even after an election last year that brought big changes, most of the county leaders who make decisions are white men, notes Julia Sass Rubin.
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