by Ed Schmeltzer | Oct 22, 2020 | University of Chicago
By introducing the threat of violence through his refusal to condemn violent Alt-Right groups such as the Proud Boys, Donald Trump is undermining a fundamental norm behind the US electoral system: the promise of a peaceful transfer of power from one candidate to the...
by Kevin Yang | Oct 20, 2020 | Williams College
“Trump gets powerful new rival in Letitia James,” proclaimed one headline. “The thorn in Trump’s side,” said another, soon after New York Attorney General Letitia James took office in 2019. Almost two years later, she has proven the headlines right. Since being...
by Samuel Riley | Oct 20, 2020 | Williams College
It is no secret to pro-democracy advocates and authoritarian rulers alike that an independent judiciary is a fundamental protection against authoritarian regression. Indeed, an independent judiciary provides vital checks on legislative and executive power, blocking...
by Will Jaffe | Oct 19, 2020 | University of Chicago
Reforms proposed in the SHIELD ACT to limit foreign financial contributions in the 2020 election are insufficient to protect electoral integrity. Foreign agents have other political tools at their disposal. With the 2016 election still fresh in the minds of American...
by Jacob Rosenberg | Oct 19, 2020 | Williams College
Now more than ever, people are scared to say what they really think. Whether at dinner tables, at work, or in classrooms, our social interactions have devolved into fear: fear of what other people will think about what we say. Will I inadvertently offend someone? If I...