Voters should choose their politicians, not the other way around.

Texas Messes with Democracy

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Texas’s attempt to redraw its congressional map mid-decade to produce five new House seats for the GOP has set off a partisan redistricting war across the country. It’s an extremely dangerous time for American democracy: Gerrymandering reduces competition, weakens representation for voters, and shields politicians from accountability. It also flips the democratic process on its head, letting politicians choose their voters instead of the other way around. This fight underscores the urgent need for national redistricting standards to protect voters and keep the system fair

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One American’s Struggle to Vote in Texas

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Gerrymandering isn’t the only way Texas is undermining democracy. A restrictive voting law the state enacted in 2021, Senate Bill 1, created new barriers that have disenfranchised some eligible voters and discouraged others from participating at all. A Brennan Center intern recounts the costly, confusing process she faced to cast an absentee ballot in Texas’s 2022 midterms

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Confronting Political Corruption

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The Trump administration has escalated a pattern of rising political corruption. Wealthy donors enjoy outsize access and influence, and the president and other officials are using public office to benefit themselves and their business interests. A new Brennan Center analysis examines the factors that led to this moment. It’s part of our broader research

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into the harms of corruption and the short- and long-term solutions the public and Congress must adopt to curb it and return democratic power to the people

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Can the President Take Over DC?

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Last week, the Trump administration announced a federal takeover of Washington, DC. National Guard troops and federal law enforcement agents have been sent into the city, and the White House is moving to seize control of its police department. There’s a risk that what’s happening in DC could be a test run for militarized power grabs in other cities. Brennan Center experts examine the legal issues behind the DC takeover and the safeguards that could block similar efforts elsewhere

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Filling Election Security Gaps

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Deep cuts to federal resources and support for election security are putting both our elections and the people who run them at risk. Our latest survey

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of local election officials shows that 60 percent are concerned about these federal cuts. A report

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by the Brennan Center and the R Street Institute provides concrete recommendations for how state leaders can step up and fill the gap with a whole-of-government approach

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SCOTUS Should Break Its Silence

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The Supreme Court’s use of its emergency docket, also called the shadow docket, has skyrocketed this year. Again and again, it has issued emergency orders to reinstate Trump administration policies that lower courts had blocked, often with little or no explanation. Justice Brett Kavanaugh has defended the Court’s silence, but his reasoning doesn’t hold up. At a time when the Court has repeatedly shirked its duty to check presidential power and uphold the rule of law, the public deserves to know why

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Immigration Courts, Explained

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New focus on immigration arrests, raids, and deportations has put a spotlight on the immigration court system. In a new explainer, a former senior immigration policy official breaks down what these specialized courts are, who ends up in them, and what rights are available to immigrants facing deportation

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Podcast: The Rise of the Imperial Presidency

Our latest episode examines how the president has amassed power at the expense of other branches of government. This year alone, the administration has frozen the spending of funds approved by Congress and defied court orders. Supporters of vast presidential power have a name for this: the unitary executive. It’s the idea that the Constitution gives the president full control over the executive branch and broad authority to act unilaterally. While legal scholars debate its scope, the theory in its most expansive form envisions a king-like president largely unconstrained by Congress or the courts. An embrace of this theory by the executive branch and the Supreme Court could carry far-reaching consequences for American democracy. Listen on Spotify

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, Apple Podcasts

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, or your favorite podcast platform

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, or watch on YouTube

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BRENNAN CENTER ON SOCIAL MEDIA

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State Court Report, a project of the Brennan Center, has proposed a panel featuring top experts on voting rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and climate change litigation for SXSW EDU, which gathers thousands of stakeholders from all levels of education for three days of learning and discovery each spring. Help us bring State Court Report to SXSW EDU! Learn more on Instagram >>

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Virtual Events

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The Next Phase of the Fight

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Thursday, September 4, 3–4 p.m. ET

Challenges to democracy intensified over the summer. The National Guard deployed in California. The Supreme Court ruled on presidential power using the shadow docket. In Texas, an egregious gerrymander has set off a partisan war nationally.



Now the fall will mark the next phase in the fight for the Constitution. Will the rule of law hold? How will the 2026 election unfold? Join us for a virtual event highlighting some of the biggest news stories of the past three months. Brennan Center experts will break down what’s happened and what will come next in the fight to uphold democratic values. RSVP today

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