The Irish Constitutional Convention illustrates how ordinary citizens can play their part in the process after all

Post by Harry McGee, political correspondent The Irish Times. This article originally appeared in the Connacht Tribune, 12 June 2013 I have to say I was sceptical about the notion of a citizens’ assembly becoming part of official political discourse in Ireland. The idea is that rather than getting politicians to decide on new political direction,…

Why bother campaigning?

In this newly published work in Electoral Studies, I (along with two colleagues: Dr. Maria Laura Sudulich of EUI Florence and Professor David Farrell of University College Dublin) asked whether candidates who spent more money were more likely to succeed at European Parliament (EP) elections.

Judge Jed Rakoff on the Limits of Prosecution

Judge Jed Rakoff gave a keynote address last week to a conference hosted by the Centre for Law, Markets and Regulation (CLMR) at the University of New South Wales. The influential judge from the Southern District of New York spoke about the flawed rationale for non-prosecution of offences related to the Global Economic Crisis. Judge Rakoff explained, as far as…

Business Money and Political Corruption in Ireland

By Iain McMenamin The study of corruption and political finance in Ireland has tended to be qualitative.  This has made it difficult to determine whether problems related to a relatively small number of individuals of the system as a whole.  My article, “Business Financing of Politics in Ireland: Theory, Evidence and Reform” in the current…

Is the Seanad Bill 2013 what we want?

Posted by Eoin O’Malley (15 May) A new Seanad reform bill was introduced in the Seanad today by Senators Katherine Zappone and Fergal Quinn. It is available here. The main point of the bill are that it should move to a reformed house with new powers, but without requiring constitutional change. It proposed elections by…