News
Reforming one law could prevent another election insurrection, experts say
To avoid a repeat of the Jan. 6 election insurrection, Congress needs to update a little-known law passed 134 years ago, experts say.
The Electoral Count Act of 1887 governs the casting and counting of electoral votes every four years, but the law's language is arcane and often confusing, which leaves room for misuse, according to the National Task Force on Election Crises. The cross-partisan group of more than 50 experts in election law, national security and voting rights released a report Tuesday renewing calls for swift congressional action to safeguard against potential future crises.
Debate
Patriotism and freedom: The two most misused terms in U.S. politics
Some of the most frequently used words in right-wing America are also among the most misused. Many are convinced that anyone who asserts "freedom" in the name of the "Constitution" is a "patriot." There are flaws in that argument, writes Lawrence Goldstone, author of "On Account of Race: The Supreme Court, White Supremacy and the Ravaging of African American Voting Rights."
Podcast: A summer of the individual vs. the common good
In the most recent edition of Democracy Works, a podcast from the McCourtney Institute for Democracy, the team discusses one of Democracy's central tensions: the collective vs. the individual and what our responsibilities are as democratic citizens.
Community
An Evening with Dr. Danielle Allen
Join The Village Square digitally as they welcome special guest Dr. Danielle Allen — Harvard Professor, classicist, and political scientist, and the author of "Our Declaration," a book about this critical moment in the future of building a multiracial democracy. Part democracy's orator and part its master mechanic, Dr. Allen is uniquely equipped to guide us to the other side of our current crisis of faith in democracy.