Free Republic

Back in 1937, an economist named Ronald Coase realized something that helped explain the rise of modern corporations -- and which just might explain the coming decline of the American two-party political system. Coase's insight was this: The cost of gathering information determines the size of organizations. It sounds abstract, but in the past it meant that complex tasks undertaken on vast scales required organizational behemoths. This was as true for the Democratic and Republican parties as it was for General Motors. Choosing and marketing candidates isn't so different from designing, manufacturing and selling automobiles. But the Internet has changed...

WASHINGTON (AP) - Increasingly challenged by minor-party candidates, several news organizations asked federal election officials Wednesday to stay out of decisions about which candidates are invited to televised debates.The coalition, led by CBS, wants to change a federal rule it says could treat a news organization's invitation to appear in its candidate debate as an illegal corporate campaign contribution.To avoid having debates counted as donations, news organizations now must follow "pre-established objective criteria" in deciding which federal candidates may participate.The Federal Election Commission rule does not spell out the criteria, but notes that nomination by a particular political party cannot...