Steve Skowronek, on “Authoritarianism Then and Now,” at the NYU Democracy Project

October 22, 2025, 7:19 amUncategorizedRichard Pildes

Yale’s Steve Skowronek is one of the leading scholars on the American presidency. His recent book is The Adaptability Paradox: Political Inclusion and Constitutional Resilience (2025); other books include Phantoms of a Beleaguered Republic: The Deep State and the Unitary… Continue reading

Watch Video of My Conversation with Jen Rubin: “A Potential Rights Sunset on the Horizon: Rick Hasen on Louisiana’s Redistricting Supreme Court Case”

October 21, 2025, 8:09 amredistricting, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Here, at the Contrarian.

“State Voting Laws Roundup: October 2025”

October 21, 2025, 7:44 amUncategorizedRestrictive Voting LawsSpencer Overton

Brennan Center: State governments in 2025 are nearly on pace to match the number of restrictive voting laws enacted in 2021, when states enacted more restrictive legislation than at any other point so far in the 14 years the… Continue reading

“How Trump Is Using Fake Imagery to Attack Enemies and Rouse Supporters”

October 21, 2025, 7:39 amUncategorizedAI, generative aiSpencer Overton

NYT: The era of A.I. propaganda is here — and President Trump is an enthusiastic participant…. Mr. Trump has posted A.I.-generated images or videos at least 62 times on his Truth Social account since late 2022, according to a… Continue reading

“Voting rights groups condemn GOP redistricting plan that would dismantle NC’s Black Belt district”

October 21, 2025, 7:38 amUncategorizedRedistricting; North Carolina, Voting Rights Act; Section 2Spencer Overton

NC NEWSLINE: ….The 1st District, anchored in northeastern North Carolina, has elected Black representatives for more than three decades. It is currently held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Don Davis, one of the most conservative Democrats in Congress, who won… Continue reading

“G.O.P. Senators Oppose Trump Watchdog Nominee After Report of Racist Texts”

October 21, 2025, 7:37 amUncategorizedCivil Service Reform Act, Hatch Act, Office of Special Counsel, Whistleblower Protection ActSpencer Overton

NYT: The nomination of Paul Ingrassia, President Trump’s pick to lead the Office of Special Counsel, appeared to be in jeopardy on Monday night after Politico reported that he had sent a series of racist text messages. At least… Continue reading

“French ex-president Sarkozy begins jail sentence for campaign finance conspiracy”

October 21, 2025, 7:33 amUncategorizedCampaign financeSpencer Overton

BBC: Nicolas Sarkozy has become the first French ex-president to go to jail, as he starts a five-year sentence for conspiring to fund his election campaign with money from late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Register for April 30 Safeguarding Democracy Project Webinar: “Media, Social Media, and the Changing Election Information Environment in 2026” (with Citron, Nyhan, and Wilentz)

October 21, 2025, 7:29 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Thursday, October 30 Media, Social Media, and the Changing Election Information Environment in 2026 (webinar) 12:15pm-1:15pm PTRegister here.Co-sponsored by the Institute for Technology, Law & Policy, UCLA LawDanielle Citron, UVA Law School, Brendan Nyhan, Dartmouth College, and Amy Wilentz,… Continue reading

“Some States With Democratic Governors Are Posting Partisan Shutdown Messages on Official Websites”

October 21, 2025, 7:28 amUncategorizedHatch Act, State EthicsSpencer Overton

NYT: The Trump administration has used federal government websites and official public service videos to place blame for the government shutdown on Democrats, drawing an outcry for injecting partisan politics into the bureaucracy. Now, some states with Democratic governors… Continue reading

“States, Not the President, Run Elections in America”

October 21, 2025, 7:27 amUncategorizedelection administrationSpencer Overton

State Court Report: The president has no constitutional authority over federal election administration. Rather, state and local officials are charged with administering elections, serving voters, and counting ballots to determine who the people chose to represent them. Still, the… Continue reading

NYU’s Democracy Project Features Two Essays on Democracy and AI

October 21, 2025, 5:10 amUncategorizedRichard Pildes

Today we have an essay from Nate Persily titled: Democracy in the Age of AI. Yesterday, Lisa Manheim also published an essay titled: Leaning into AI. Both essays turn out to more optimistic, or at least less pessimistic,… Continue reading

Section 2’s Legislative History Refutes the SG’s Proposal

October 20, 2025, 7:58 amUncategorizedNicholas Stephanopoulos

I’ve previously noted a number of problems with the SG’s proposal in Callais, under which demonstrative maps would have to achieve the enacted plan’s political goals in order to satisfy the first Gingles precondition. The proposal has no basis in the Supreme Court’s Section 2… Continue reading

“A little-noticed consequence of mid-decade redistricting”

October 20, 2025, 7:53 amUncategorizedgerrymandering, redistrictingSpencer Overton

Almanac of American Politics with Louis Jacobson Substack: With 10 states — and maybe more — looking to redraw their House districts this year or early next year, the balance of Congress might look very different by the time… Continue reading

“Will the Voting Rights Act Survive SCOTUS?”

October 20, 2025, 7:52 amUncategorizedRedistricting; Louisiana, Voting Rights Act; Section 2Spencer Overton

Strict Scrutiny podcast: Leah, Kate, and Melissa break down last week’s agonizing two-and-a-half-hour oral argument in Louisiana v. Callais, a case that could see the already weakened Voting Rights Act gutted even further. They highlight the themes that emerged and… Continue reading