News
NJ’s ballot line system is dead — the ‘magnitude’ will reverberate across politics
“It undermines the entire system of machine power,” Sass Rubin said. “It’s a different world. I just think you’ve taken away such a huge chunk of what they have to keep in power and really the only thing that makes us different.”
New Jersey’s Ballot Must Be Immediately Redesigned, Federal Judge Rules
One study by Julia Sass Rubin, an associate dean at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Policy at Rutgers, found that being on the county line gave congressional candidates an advantage of 38 percentage points.
New Jersey’s unique ballot design struck down by judge
“We are the last of the [political] machine states, and the machine relies on the county line to stay in control,” Rubin told The Washington Post last week. “If you displease the people who decide who gets the line,” you could lose your office, she said.
The Murphys want to protect their progressive NJ legacy — fueled by the line
“I think what [the line] produces is whatever the machine needs to produce to stay in power,” said Julia Sass Rubin, a Rutgers professor and prominent critic of the line balloting. “In Murphy’s case, because he had the resources to run and he ran as a progressive, we got a progressive governor…”
Huge fight that could slam N.J.’s boss-driven politics rages in federal court
A long-simmering fight over New Jersey’s unique primary ballot design reached a federal courtroom Monday in a case that has the potential to upend not only the state’s tense U.S. Senate race but Garden State politics in general.
Judge scraps controversial ‘county line’ on primary election ballot
Rutgers University professor Julia Sass Rubin, who has analyzed the impact of the county line in elections, published a study last year that detailed the advantage it gives to candidates who have the line.
How Andy Kim Took on New Jersey’s Political Machine
New Jersey is the only state in the nation with this type of bracketed ballot design. According to Julia Sass Rubin, a public-policy professor at Rutgers, a candidate who gets the line enjoys a double-digit advantage over the competition
NJSPL – NJ Progress with Offshore Wind Projects
Offshore wind has the potential to contribute to the state’s decarbonization goals while generating approximately 20,000 new jobs for the state by 2030, but exactly how these economic benefits will be distributed remains to be seen
Kelly O’Brien (MCRP ’09) wins Fairfax VA Women of Influence Award
Congratulations to Fairfax, VA Deputy Director of Planning & Zoning Kelly O’Brien (MCRP ’09) for her Women of Influence Award: Celebrating Women Making a Difference in the City!
Proposed overhaul of NJ public records law
“You can’t really run a government if every draft document that you have of exploring ideas is subject to public disclosure, because it doesn’t represent a final government action,” Pfeiffer said. “You really can’t do business in a full transparent mode.”
Bloustein event discusses opportunities, ramifications associated with AI
The webinar was hosted in collaboration with the AI Social Impact Lab and the Garfield City Council, and was moderated by Jim Samuel, an associate professor of practice and executive director of the Master of Public Informatics program at the Bloustein School.
Dutch hyperloop center aims to advance futuristic transport technology
“This is just another example of policy makers chasing a shiny object when basic investment in infrastructure is needed,” Robert Noland, distinguished professor at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University, said in comments emailed to The Associated Press. “It costs too much to build,” he added.