In the 80's and 90's, the idea of term limits took hold across the country. Activists pushed them as a way of bringing change to moribund legislatures, while angry voters dissatisfied with their local governments seized on term limits as a way of holding politicians to account. Term limits represented an important part of the “Contract With … [Read more...]
Gerrymandering In the Courts and On the Ballot
Gerrymandering – broadly defined as drawing voting district boundaries in such a way as to maximize the political advantage for one party or demographic group – is almost as old as America itself. In fact, a gerrymandering episode in Virginia immediately after ratification of the Constitution involved Patrick Henry, James Madison and James Monroe. … [Read more...]
Split Decision: Democrats Take House, Republicans Expand Senate Majority
Driven by big gains in wealthy suburbs and in districts won by Hillary Clinton in 2016, Democrats lived up to pre-election expectations and won back the House of Representatives on Tuesday, winning a net of 26 House seats as of the publication of this post. However, Republicans took advantage of an extremely favorable Senate map and expanded … [Read more...]
2018 Midterms Preview
The 2018 midterm election projects to be one of the most consequential in recent history. At stake is Congressional oversight of the Trump Administration, the future of the federal court system, impending Congressional re-districting and a staggering range of elected positions. If you've been too busy to obsess over American politics, here are … [Read more...]
Redistricting Cases Being Considered Throughout the US
Several cases being considered by the Supreme Court and a slew of other cases being heard throughout the country could point toward a radical change in US politics. For years, the issue of partisan gerrymandering has been swept under the rug, in a process of constant deferral. Ever since Davis v. Bandemer, Justices have found it difficult to … [Read more...]
Federal Court Strikes Down Redistricting Map in North Carolina
On February 9th, a federal court in North Carolina struck down a redistricting map, agreeing with the Plaintiffs’ that it was an example of unconstitutional partisan gerrymandering. A three-judge panel rendered the unanimous decision and, in doing so, made history, as this was the first-ever federal court decision to strike down a map due to … [Read more...]
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Gerrymander Victory May Supersede High Court’s Jurisdiction, Legal Analysts Say
On Monday, The U.S. Supreme Court succeeded in blocking a panel of North Carolina Federal judges from striking down 13 congressional districts as Republican partisan gerrymanders until an appeal can be prepared. However, the Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court’s decision this week to redraw all of the state’s 18 congressional districts in a major … [Read more...]
Native Americans Fight for the Right to Vote
Throughout the country, Native Americans have been fighting for basic rights that allow them to fully participate in the US democratic process. In a lot of cases, Native Americans are fighting over voting rights, as many states that are home to large Native populations have taken it upon themselves to actively exclude those same populations through … [Read more...]
