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CALL FOR PAPERS: Current Debates and Recent Developments in Campaign Finance
Deadline for manuscript submission: May 1, 2018
Social scientists are playing an increasingly important role in election law, both directly as expert witnesses and indirectly through their research. Circuit Judge Wynn's recent decision in the North Carolina redistricting case recognizes this point, striking a very different tone than Chief Justice John Roberts' concern about “sociological gobbledygook.” Judge Wynn is worth quoting extensively because it should warm the heart of every social scientist who has an interest in election law. While the readers of the Journal will be split in terms of the substantive outcome in this case, social scientists and lawyers who use that research should applaud Judge Wynn's endorsement of cutting-edge social science research to inform legal decisions:
Advances in statistical and empirical theory and application, therefore, have the potential to allow parties, experts, and amici to provide courts with more rigorous and probative evidence, thereby decreasing the risk that courts will render a decision that later proves to have rested on an errant empirical analysis. Consequently, it makes no practical or legal sense for courts to close their eyes to new scientific or statistical methods . . . to prove or disprove claims premised on established legal standards. (Common Cause, et al., v. Robert A. Rucho, pp.74-75).
In this spirit, the Election Law Journal will devote a special issue to campaign finance.
Election Law Journal is the leading peer-reviewed journal for up-to-date coverage of this evolving area of specialization. ELJ is currently seeking original contributions on the following topics related to campaign finance (this list is suggestive, not exhaustive):
- dark money and disclosure
- the viability of our regulatory structure given the current impotence of the FEC
- the influence of foreign money in federal elections
- public financing at the state level
Deadline for manuscript submission: May 1, 2018
Please submit your papers online to our web-based manuscript submission and peer-review system. | 
