Thursday, July 25, 3–4 p.m. ET
RSVP for this free virtual event

A law last updated 150 years ago gives presidents dangerous authority to use the U.S. military as a domestic police force. The Insurrection Act has virtually no limits on when and how this power can be used, making it a loaded weapon in the hands of any leader, Democrat or Republican, who is tempted to abuse it. Without urgent reforms, the law is a threat to civil liberties and American democracy itself.

Join us for a live virtual event with an expert panel that will shed light on the alarming presidential powers under the Insurrection Act and examine solutions that would prevent the law’s misuse.

Speakers: Hawa Allan, Author of Insurrection: Rebellion, Civil Rights, and the Paradoxical State of Black Citizenship // Jack Goldsmith, Learned Hand Professor of Law, Harvard Law School // Joseph Nunn, Counsel, Brennan Center Liberty & National Security Program // Moderator: Elizabeth Goitein, Senior Director, Brennan Center Liberty & National Security Program

Check out our latest episode with Brennan Center President Michael Waldman and Kareem Crayton, the Brennan Center’s senior director for voting and representation, discussing Waldman’s book The Supermajority and how the Supreme Court is rapidly upending American life as we know it. Listen to this conversation, and others featuring experts covering topics like democracy, criminal justice, and the Constitution, on the Brennan Center Live podcast, available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.