Constitution
Non-Citizens Used to Vote Regularly in America. Should More Elections Be Open to Them Today?
The Constitution doesn't bar non-citizens from voting, but when San Francisco opened up school elections to all residents, a conservative firestorm followed.
Viewfinder: House Democrats Ask Why the White House Supports an Effort to End Obamacare
Representative Steven Horsford (D-Nevada) speaks during a news conference on April 9th, 2019, in Washington, D.C.
What Happens If Sheriffs Refuse to Enforce State Gun-Control Laws?
Second Amendment sanctuary counties are coming to liberal states, like New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington.
Huawei Will Sue the U.S. for Banning Government Agencies From Using Its Products
The Chinese telecom company is expected to argue that it has been punished without trial, violating the Constitution.
Is Bernie Sanders Too Old to Be President?
There's an age minimum for president. A slate of older candidates invite the question of whether there should also be an age cap.
It's Time to Abolish the State of the Union Address
The speech was once useful for setting legislative agendas, but the digital age has made it a mostly useless spectacle.
Can the Government Force You to Unlock Your Phone?
It's an issue that focuses on the protections granted by the Fifth Amendment.
Viewfinder: Climate Protests at the Supreme Court
Protesters attend a rally held by the group Our Children's Trust on October 29th, 2018, outside the United States Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.
Explaining the Constitutional Crisis Dodge
Be wary of political parties' dismissal of impeachment as the invocation of a constitutional crisis.
A Federal Court Rules That U.S. Constitutional Protections Apply to a Mexican Teen Shot by Border Patrol
In a potentially landmark decision, a circuit court judge ruled that the Fourth Amendment should protect Elena Rodriguez, who was a Mexican national killed on Mexican soil.
Immigrant Rights Groups File a Lawsuit Challenging the Census' Citizenship Question
The suit's plaintiffs say the question could discourage certain ethnic minorities from completing the census due to fears that their responses could be used against them.
Viewfinder: Voting for an Abortion Referendum Begins in Ireland
Maureen Ui Fhearraigh casts her ballot paper as voting takes place a day earlier than on the mainland, on May 24th, 2018, in Gola Island, Ireland.
Is the Trump Administration Giving Religion an Outsized Role in Public Policy?
Based on recent actions by the president, it appears Trump's idea of creating opportunities for religious values in America involves turning religion into an arm of the state.
A Federal Judge Blocks a Ban on Down Syndrome Abortions in Ohio
The temporary ban on the law will benefit women who have sought abortions with the belief or knowledge that the fetus has Down syndrome.
Should We Fear Article V?
We're closer to a constitutional convention, where any new amendment could be put before a simple majority vote, than you might realize.
How Trump Could Have Benefited from Tax Loopholes in the U.S.
Donald Trump's supporters crowed when leaked pages of his 2005 return showed he paid a hefty amount of taxes. But the returns for the following years, which remain secret, likely include some hefty refunds of that payment.
Is Water a Fundamental Human Right?
On a search to find our right to clean drinking water in U.S. and international law.
Could Scott Walker's Legal Victory Expand PAC Superpowers?
Proponents of tighter reins on political money worry that a Wisconsin ruling about the governor’s recall campaign could carry seeds of another Citizens United.
Excessive Force in Custody and the Rights of the Untried
While Baltimore erupts, the Supreme Court considers a timely case.
Will the Supreme Court Allow Legislators to Dilute Voting Power?
Arizona’s state legislature is unhappy about losing the ability to draw district lines, which has resulted in a major lawsuit. What will the Supreme Court say, and will its decision call into question a host of other electoral reforms?
A Look at the Secretive Society That Could Determine the Supreme Court's Obamacare Case
For more than 30 years, the Federalist Society has worked behind the scenes to shape Supreme Court outcomes to a conservative agenda. In King v. Burwell, its influence could eliminate health insurance subsidies for millions of people.
How Copyright Terms Restrict Scholarship
In order to write a book about the Wonder Woman comics, Noah Berlatsky had to resort to pirated reprints.
Double Jeopardy Isn’t What You Think—and It Won’t Save Amanda Knox
Despite how it’s been portrayed on screens both large and small, the Fifth Amendment’s Double Jeopardy Clause isn’t meant to protect against the consequences of an appeal.
Does the Declaration of Independence Still Mean Something in 2014?
A remarkable document in human history, without precedent or rival, the Declaration outlines not what the United States should be, but what it should not be, defining America in opposition to Britain.