https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/ten-questions-bob-mueller-should-ask-trump
First there were reports that Trump would sit for an interview with Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Then Trump prevaricated and said in an interview was...
bob muellerbrennan centertenquestionsask
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/florida-enacts-sweeping-voter-suppression-law
The law imposes new restrictions on mail voting, makes voter registration more difficult, and modifes rules for observers in ways that could disrupt election...
voter suppression lawbrennan centerfor justicefloridasweeping
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/michigan-blazes-path-pro-democracy-reform
In the battleground state, recent moves by voters and lawmakers have made voting more accessible and election subversion more difficult.
pro democracybrennan centermichiganblazespath
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/pledge-worth-keeping
Public funding offers the opportunity to show that these candidates truly do value voters over dollars...
brennan centerfor justicepledgeworthkeeping
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/redistricting-roundup-jun-09-2022
Every state now has a finalized congressional map for the 2022 midterms other than Louisiana, whose congressional map was recently struck down and ordered...
brennan centerfor justiceredistrictingroundupjun
https://www.brennancenter.org/es?utm_medium=PANTHEON_STRIPPED&utm_source=PANTHEON_STRIPPED
Defend Democracy. Reform Justice. Protect the Constitution. The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law works to build an America that is democratic, just, and...
brennan centerfor justice
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/trump-administrations-campaign-undermine-next-election
The executive branch is interfering in U.S. elections in unprecedented ways.
the trumpcampaignunderminenextelection
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/devastating-setback-civil-rights
Congress considered 15,000 pages of evidence when it reauthorized the Voting Rights Act in 2006. A divided Supreme Court struck down a key provision of the law...
civil rightsbrennan centerdevastatingsetbackjustice
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/fifteen-years-later-citizens-united-defined-2024-election
The influence of wealthy donors and dark money was unprecedented. Much of it would have been illegal before the Supreme Court swept away long-established...
fifteen yearscitizens unitedlaterdefinedelection
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/waiting-vote?emci=59845687-16d1-ea11-9b05-00155d03bda0&emdi=f8bf40ae-21d1-ea11-9b05-00155d03bda0&ceid=1131511
Long waits at polling places are disruptive, disenfranchising, and all too common. Black and Latino voters are especially likely to endure them.
brennan centerfor justicewaitingvote
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/fossil-fuel-industry-donors-see-major-returns-trumps-policies
The Trump administration’s embrace of the oil and gas industry’s agenda provides another example of how wealthy special interests shape policies.
fossil fuel industrydonorsseemajorreturns
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/marriage-equality-next-target-scotus-conservative-supermajority
Probably not, but there may be a more insidious threat aiming to erode legal recognition of same-sex marriage.
marriage equalitynexttargetscotusconservative
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/what-caused-crime-decline
Crime declined dramatically nationwide over the past two decades. We reviewed more than 40 years of data from all 50 states and the 50 largest cities to...
the crimebrennan centerfor justicecauseddecline
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/census-citizenship-question-dramatic-misstep
Late today, the U.S. Commerce Department announced it would include a question about citizenship status on the 2020 census. The Brennan Center for Justice at...
citizenship questionbrennan centerfor justicecensusdramatic
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/elster-v-city-seattle
Elster v. City of Seattle is a suit in Washington State that challenges Seattle's system of public financing for election campaigns.
city of seattlebrennan centerfor justiceelsterv
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/united-states-v-gilton-amicus-brief
In this amicus brief, the Brennan Center urges the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to uphold a district court ruling that the Fourth Amendment...
united statesamicus briefbrennan centerfor justicev
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/promoting-fair-and-impartial-courts-through-recusal-reform
To assist state courts in responding to the need for recusal reform, the Brennan Center for Justice has collected model rules that provide a blueprint for...
brennan centerpromotingfairimpartialcourts
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/crime-and-safety-task-force-recommendations-should-be-made-public
The panel's suggestions to Attorney General Jeff Sessions will likely result in changes to drug and immigration policy, and have already led to changes in...
task forcecrimesafetyrecommendationsmade
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/we-dont-have-let-big-tech-money-dominate-elections
Weak campaign finance rules give an outsize voice to the ultrarich, but reforms can help.
have tobig techletmoneydominate
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/election-experts-send-letter-department-justice-arizona-audits
Election experts wrote a letter to Chris Herren, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice, requesting that he deploy federal monitors to the location...
department of justiceelectionexpertssendletter
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/can-foreign-system-preventive-detention-work-united-states
If you suspect a conspiracy is unfolding, how can you detain suspects before they act, absent sufficient evidence of guilt?
preventive detentionwork inforeignsystem
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/agenda-renewed-democracy-new-jersey
The Garden State has long been a leader in fighting for a fuller and more robust democracy. Its lawmakers have a unique opportunity to build on this legacy...
for anew jerseyagendademocracybrennan
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/voting-laws-roundup-september-2024
This fall, voters in more than half of the states will face obstacles to voting that they have never encountered in a presidential election before.
brennan centerfor justicevotinglawsroundup
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/buying-time-2025-wisconsin
This page features Wisconsin Supreme Court election spending data and television advertisements from the 2025 election cycle.
buying timebrennan centerfor justicewisconsin
https://www.brennancenter.org/topics/money-politics
Americans are fed up with the role of big money in political campaigns. The Brennan Center's solution: small donor public financing to put power back in...
money in politicsbrennan centerfor justice
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/independent-counsel-we-can-live-without
Atty. Gen. Janet Reno seems to be torn over a choice between two investigations into campaign finance abuses in the 1996 presidential elections.
independent counselwe canbrennan centerlivewithout
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/new-bipartisan-voting-commission-voting-important-step
Tonight, the president spoke powerfully of the need to reform the way we run elections in America. His appointment of a new bipartisan commission is an...
brennan centernewbipartisanvotingcommission
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/incumbents-case-some-campaign-finance-reform
The conventional wisdom is that genuine campaign finance reform is again doomed to defeat in the upcoming weeks, a victim of incumbents' sense that the current...
campaign finance reformbrennan centerincumbentscase
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/two-texas-cases-test-boundaries-redistricting-law
Two Texas redistricting cases worth watching are quietly working their way through the courts. Both raise novel issues and point toward the types of...
twotexascasestestboundaries
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/language-mass-incarceration-being-deployed-against-immigrants
Though the president supports some criminal justice reform, his rhetoric works against that effort
the languagemass incarcerationdeployedimmigrants
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/biden-must-act-ensure-government-transparency
The president should issue an executive order to protect accountability by shoring up the Presidential Records Act.
government transparencybrennan centerbidenmustact
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/policy-solutions/federal-agenda-criminal-justice-reform
From policing to prisons, the Biden administration and Congress must act to make our systems of public safety less punitive and more equitable.
criminal justice reformbrennan centerfederalagenda
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/facts-about-incumbency-response-professor-hayward
Professor Hayward replied to my earlier blog post, and was somewhat dismissive of the Brennan Center research ...
the factsincumbencyresponseprofessorhayward
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/warped-incentive-structure-members-congress
The centrality of online donations, paired with dwindling legislative power, creates pressure for members to create sound bite moments, rather than creating...
members of congressbrennan centerwarpedincentivestructure
https://www.brennancenter.org/topics/voting-elections/voting-reform/state-voting-laws
The Brennan Center tracks voting legislation around the country, keeping an eye on measures that restrict or expand voting access, improve security, or...
brennan centerfor justicestatevotinglaws
https://www.brennancenter.org/about/brennan-center-nyu-school-law
The Brennan Center for Justice works with NYU law school faculty and students to uphold the American ideals of democracy and equal justice, for all.
school of lawbrennan centerfor justicenyu
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/congress-should-pass-democracy-restoration-act
Based on a Brennan Center proposal, the bill would restore voting rights in federal elections to nearly 4.4 million American citizens with criminal convictions...
brennan centercongresspassdemocracyrestoration
https://www.brennancenter.org/topics/government-power
The Brennan Center confronts abuses of executive power and works for national security policies that ensure Americans’ safety while protecting our rights to...
brennan centerfor justicegovernmentpower
https://www.brennancenter.org/es
Defend Democracy. Reform Justice. Protect the Constitution. The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law works to build an America that is democratic, just, and...
brennan centerfor justice
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/did-anthony-kennedy-just-destroy-his-own-legacy
American democracy is plainly weaker than it was when he took his seat, says Michael Waldman.
anthony kennedybrennan centerdestroylegacy
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/trumps-orders-targeting-antifascism-aim-criminalize-opposition
Purporting to go after “domestic terrorism,” the president presents an imagined left-wing conspiracy and authorizes punishments for even tenuous...
anti fascismorderstargetingaimcriminalize
https://www.brennancenter.org/about/programs
The Brennan Center focuses on democracy, criminal justice, securing the balance of power, and protecting fundamental freedoms while keeping Americans safe.
brennan centerfor justiceprograms
https://www.brennancenter.org/search?subissue=100&langcode=en
Defend Democracy. Reform Justice. Protect the Constitution. The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law works to build an America that is democratic, just, and...
search resultsbrennan centerfor justice
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/alien-enemies-act-explained
This detention and deportation power poses an alarming risk of abuse and rights violations in both wartime and peacetime.
alien enemies actbrennan centerfor justiceexplained
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/new-voting-laws-show-struggle-continues
As we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Selma voting rights march, new state laws restricting voting remind us the struggle is not over.
the struggle continuesbrennan centernewvotinglaws
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/election-regulations-and-voter-disengagement
Super PACs and restrictive voting laws could lead less voters to participate this year. Congress must act quickly to counteract these measures.
brennan centerfor justiceelectionregulationsvoter
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/why-census-asking-about-citizenship-such-problem
The move raises serious concerns that the upcoming census will be a major failure, harming our democracy, communities and businesses and painting an inaccurate...
censusaskingcitizenshipproblem
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/election-denial-ballot-midterms
Voters are deciding whether to put election deniers in charge of election administration in several battleground states.
election denialbrennan centerballotmidterms
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/guns-and-tyranny-american-republicanism
Violent threats to the stability and sustainability of the American republic will persist until the country confronts the economic inequality that lies at the...
american republicanismbrennan centergunstyranny
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/arizona-races-funded-national-donors
Candidates in Arizona are relying heavily on national donors and super PACs, weakening constituents’ influence.
brennan centerfor justicearizonaracesfunded
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/new-revelations-nsa-surveillance
The NSA is still violating surveillance restrictions on Americans' domestic communications. But it gets worse...
brennan centerfor justicenewrevelationsnsa
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/meaning-manning-verdict
Although Manning was convicted of the majority of the charges against him, and although he will almost certainly spend decades in prison for his deeds, much of...
the meaningbrennan centerfor justicemanningverdict
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/restoring-right-vote-people-parole
Californians voted to amend their state constitution with Prop 17, and other states are poised to follow suit.
right to votefor peopleon parolerestoringbrennan
https://www.brennancenter.org/topics/voting-elections/electoral-college-reform
We support constitutional reforms that would eliminate the Electoral College in favor of direct election of the president by a national popular vote.
electoral college reformbrennan centerjustice
https://newrepublic.com/article/82236/justice-brennan-book-review-supreme-court
Justice Brennan: Liberal Champion By Seth Stern and Stephen Wermiel (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 674 pp., $35) In September 1956, when the eminently forgettable...
book reviewjustice brennanliberalchampionseth
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/democrats-are-soft-money-kings-house-and-senate-races
Brennan Center Study Finds that Missouri, Wash., Mich., Penn., and Ken. Seeing Most Political Ads in the Nation
soft moneyin housedemocratskingssenate
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/california-prison-fight-last-bright-idea
Two new financial proposals are now in play to curb the state's overcrowded prisons. One plan keeps the prison population static, the other reduces through...
a bright ideain californiaprison fightat lastbrennan
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/voting-rights-act-50
Today, we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act with a day of action, and several events urging Congress to restore protections gutted by...
voting rights actbrennan centerfor justice
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/line-succession-firing-robert-mueller
The line of succession in firing Special Counsel Mueller is governed by two separate memoranda orders and two statutory provisions.
line of successionrobert muellerbrennan centerfiring
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/double-standards-social-media-content-moderation
Platform rules often subject marginalized communities to heightened scrutiny while providing them with too little protection from harm.
double standardssocial mediacontent moderationbrennan center
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/brennan-center-calls-continued-access-guantanamo-detainees
Today, a federal appeals court in Washington heard arguments in a significant case that will determine the future of attorneys access to Guantanamo detainees.
brennan centeraccess toguantanamo detaineescallscontinued
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/buying-time-2014-ohio
This page features Ohio Supreme Court television advertisements from the 2014 election cycle.
buying timebrennan centerfor justiceohio
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/texas-photo-id-trial-update-closing-arguments-iii
Chad Dunn, representing the Veasey/LULAC Plaintiffs, concluded the closing arguments for the plaintiffs.
photo idclosing argumentsbrennan centertexastrial
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/who-watches-poll-watchers
State legislators have introduced at least 40 bills in 20 different states that would expand the powers of poll watchers.
poll watchersbrennan centerfor justicewatches
https://www.brennancenter.org/press
The Brennan Center for Justice has communications staff in our New York City and Washington, DC, offices. They handle questions and requests from journalists...
brennan centerfor justicepress
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/buying-time-2006-0
Our 2006 reporting continues the groundbreaking analysis conducted since 2000 examining the sponsorship, content, and costs of televised state supreme court...
buying timebrennan centerfor justice
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/voting-laws-roundup-december-2021
This year’s tidal wave of restrictive voting legislation will continue in 2022.
brennan centerfor justicevotinglawsroundup
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/arizona-free-enterprise-club-v-bennett
The Brennan Center, with its pro bono partner, defended the Arizona Clean Elections law in front of the Supreme Court in Arizona Free Enterprise Club v....
free enterprisebrennan centerfor justicearizonaclub
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/deal-showcases-need-fix-executive-privilege
While the deal between former Bush administration aids and the House committee investigating the firing of U.S. attorneys has been hailed as a victory, it...
need toexecutive privilegebrennan centerdealshowcases
https://www.brennancenter.org/get-involved/take-action
At the Brennan Center, we not only research and promote policy solutions that bolster our democracy — we advocate for these changes as well.
take actionbrennan centerfor justice
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/texas-bold-step-toward-justice
Texas, home of some of the worst criminal justice transgressions, passed a bill requiring prosecutors to share more information more quickly with defense...
justice brennantexasboldsteptoward
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/remarks-john-brennan-brennan-center-symposium
John O. Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, gave the keynote address at the Brennan Center's symposium Intelligence...
john brennancentersymposium
https://www.brennancenter.org/events
Brennan Center events feature fascinating conversations with thought leaders on issues including democracy, justice, race, and the Constitution. Join us for...
an eventbrennan centerfor justiceattend
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/big-week-improving-public-defense-states
Three victories in court this week, and each represent important steps forward in ongoing national efforts to strengthen the role of the courts, secure the...
a bigin theweekimprovingpublic