From Corruption to Ballot Reform: Fighting for Government Accountability in New Jersey
Mon Dec 22 2025
As we close out our 13th season of EJB Talks, Dean Stuart Shapiro asks Public Policy Program Director, Professor Julia Rubin, about why New Jersey has long been considered one of the most politically corrupt states. She explains how a consistent pattern of high-profile cases have contributed to this perception, citing the influence of the state's longtime political machines and the now-abolished “county line” primary ballot that heavily favored party-backed candidates as primary examples. Julia then walks us through how years of research, lawsuits, and the more recent Menendez scandal have culminated in a major reform that replaced the county line with fairer office-block ballots, leading to more competitive races, higher voter turnout, and a growing number of reform-minded legislators. She also discusses how recent rollbacks and attempted rollbacks to some of NJ's transparency and accountability laws, including OPRA and the work of the state Comptroller's office, show the fight for accountable government in New Jersey is still very much ongoing. As part of this episode, we encourage you to visit the podcast page on our website, where we include links to the articles and legislation being discussed. We'll see you in 2026!
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As we close out our 13th season of EJB Talks, Dean Stuart Shapiro asks Public Policy Program Director, Professor Julia Rubin, about why New Jersey has long been considered one of the most politically corrupt states. She explains how a consistent pattern of high-profile cases have contributed to this perception, citing the influence of the state's longtime political machines and the now-abolished “county line” primary ballot that heavily favored party-backed candidates as primary examples. Julia then walks us through how years of research, lawsuits, and the more recent Menendez scandal have culminated in a major reform that replaced the county line with fairer office-block ballots, leading to more competitive races, higher voter turnout, and a growing number of reform-minded legislators. She also discusses how recent rollbacks and attempted rollbacks to some of NJ's transparency and accountability laws, including OPRA and the work of the state Comptroller's office, show the fight for accountable government in New Jersey is still very much ongoing. As part of this episode, we encourage you to visit the podcast page on our website, where we include links to the articles and legislation being discussed. We'll see you in 2026!