We need bold ideas for the future. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

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Mark Wilson/Getty

Envisioning the Future

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President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks are turning heads. Keep watch not on the spectacle but on the growing threats to the rule of law. Trump has urged the Senate to let him appoint his cabinet without its advice and consent — a direct challenge to our system of checks and balances. While immediate pushback is crucial, this moment presents an opportunity for more than just resistance; it’s a time when bold, creative policy innovations can emerge to fuel the reform campaigns of tomorrow. The mobilization for the Constitution starts now

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Direct Democracy in Action

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Last week, voters in 41 states cast their ballots on a range of hot-button issues, from reproductive rights and election reform to redistricting and workers’ rights. Some of the most closely watched results were those involving new protections for abortion access in seven states, while measures on marijuana legalization failed to gain traction. These ballot measures are a powerful reminder of how direct democracy can shape policy at the state level, but they also highlight the crucial role of state courts, which will ultimately interpret the scope of these new state constitutional amendments

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High Stakes at the High Courts

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Voters in 29 states elected justices to 69 seats on their state supreme courts, which have become battlegrounds over issues such as abortion and redistricting. As has become the norm in the post-Dobbs era, both conservative and progressive groups poured money in record amounts into these campaigns, particularly in states like Michigan, Montana, and Ohio, where the ideological balance of the courts was at stake. State Court Report covered the results of these races and explained what the shifts on these high courts could mean for the future

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Building Better Prisons

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Countries in northern Europe have shown that incarceration doesn’t have to be punitive and dehumanizing. In recent years, some states (including Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington) have started to shift their corrections cultures toward more constructive and humane models. We explore these innovative efforts and the significant challenges to adopting such approached nationwide

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Big Money Rules the Race for President

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Wealthy donors giving $5 million or more to super PACs backing presidential candidates more than doubled their spending from the 2020 election, new data from the Federal Election Commission shows. Much of the increase is driven by Trump-affiliated super PACs, which have raised nearly three times as much from megadonors compared with his last campaign. A new Brennan Center analysis dives into the numbers, highlighting the glaring flaws in our campaign finance system that allow this flood of big money to shape the presidential race

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BRENNAN CENTER ON SOCIAL MEDIA

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The Alien Enemies Act is unjust, racist, and ineffective. Given how some are looking to wield the law against immigrants, it’s also broad enough to invite abuse during peacetime. Follow the Brennan Center on Bluesky >>

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Virtual Events



Brennan Center lawyers discuss Trump’s power to carry out his alarming campaign promises, including mass deportation plans, and what can be done about them. They also look at how smoothly Election Day went and the unprecedented role of megadonors in the race. Watch now on YouTube

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or listen to the podcast on Spotify

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, Apple Podcasts

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, or your favorite podcast platform

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Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law

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