Divergent civics education efforts
I was struck by reading two sharply contrasting stories about different civics education initiatives this week. First, within an article focusing on on the “In Pursuit” project (which has prominent current figures discussing significant individuals in American history), the N.Y.… Continue reading
David French’s newsletter on free speech at this moment
Characteristically thoughtful and eloquent words from the N.Y. Times columnist. It begins: “It’s hard to grasp the magnitude of the emerging threat to free speech in the United States.”
It ends by quoting some of Justice Robert Jackson’s best lines… Continue reading
“A New Democratic Think Tank Wants to Curb the Influence of Liberal Groups”
N.Y. Times reports on Adam Jentleson’s new organization, which is “starting with an annual budget of $10 million … [and] is subsidized by a roster of billionaire donors highlighted by Stephen Mandel, a hedge fund manager, and Eric Laufer, a… Continue reading
“Meta created its own super PAC to politically kneecap its AI rivals”
Interesting story in The Verve. “’It’s essentially a way for [Zuckerberg] to spend the company’s money on his political choices, whereas at a company like Google, there’s not a single person who’s a majority shareholder who can dictate what the… Continue reading
“Justice Department says it’s suing Oregon and Maine as it seeks voter data in multiple states”
AP reports. DOJ claims that the states are violating the NVRA, HAVA, and the Civil Rights Act of 1960. Both states are vigorously opposing DOJ’s efforts to get access to the state’s unredacted voter registration database, citing privacy concerns. This… Continue reading
“Sisyphean Democracy”
At NYU’s Democracy Project, Professor Wojciech Sadurski, Challis Professor of Jurisprudence at the University of Sydney and Professor at the University of Warsaw Center for Europe, has an important essay on the struggle of how democrats should respond, once… Continue reading
“Pam Bondi Needs a Free Speech Tutorial”
Wall Street Journal editorial. It begins: “Is a basic understanding of the First Amendment too much to expect from the nation’s Attorney General?”
“The Georgia Election Chief Who Angered Trump Plans Run for Governor”
The Wall Street Journal reports. The article points out that Trump has already endorsed Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s opponent for the Republican nomination, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. The state AG, Chris Carr, is also in the race for the… Continue reading
Trump, Bondi & Free Speech
POLITICO has a story that is mostly about Bondi but what it says about Trump struck me as most significant. It begins with Bondi:
“Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday appeared to walk back comments promising to target broadly defined… Continue reading
“Voter Registration is Being Undermined Across America”
Op-ed in Time by Hannah Fried, executive director of All Voting is Local.
My month-long fellowship at the University of Melbourne this summer taught me, among many other things, that if voting is compulsory–as it is in Australia–then there… Continue reading
American Encorce v. Fontes
The Ninth Circuit today issued a ruling with two parts: (1) it reversed the district court’s determination that the plaintiffs have standing to challenge the “Canvass Provision” of the Arizona Secretary of State’s Election Manual , which states: “If… Continue reading
“The Voting Wars: Public Opinion About Battles Over Voting Rules”
A new paper by Ryan Claassen and Michael Easley with this abstract:
The voting wars rank among the most rancorous and active partisan battles in an era defined by extreme partisan animus. The current battle lines formed decades ago, but… Continue reading
Paul Gronke on [in?] “The Voting Booth” podcast
Discussing vote-by-mail (not surprisingly, given Paul’s expertise on the topic).