Americans across the political spectrum are questioning the integrity of U.S. elections and democracy. Professor Amel Ahmed walks through threats that can erode democracies and encourages protecting institutions, even the controversial Electoral College.

For More on this Topic:

• Check out her piece defending the electoral college in The American Prospect.
• See the controversial New York Times graph Avi mentioned and a rebuttal in the Washington Post.
• Read her two-page brief and her book, Democracy and the Politics of Electoral System Choice: Engineering Electoral Dominance.

Further Reading:

• How Government by the Privileged Distorts Democracies, Nicholas Carnes, Duke University, Noam Lupu, Vanderbilt University
• How International Election Observers Can Help Fledgling Democracies, Leslie E. Anderson, University of Florida

The Supreme Court is helps shape civil rights in the United States, but it is less recognized for its role in intensifying economic inequality. Professor Stephen Gottlieb details cases in the high court that have promoted these inequalities.

For More on this Topic:

• Read two-page brief, How the Roberts Court Undermines U.S. Democracy, or his book, Unfit for Democracy: The Roberts Court and the Breakdown of American Politics.
• Check out his blog or commentary on WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Further Reading:

• The Changing Relationship of Congress and the Federal Judiciary, Bruce Peabody, Fairleigh Dickinson University
• County Right-to-Work Laws as the Latest Tactic to Undercut American Labor Unions, Raymond Hogler, Colorado State University

A voting rule no one is talking about could change the face of elections across the country. Professor Zoltan Hajnal explains how combining national, state, and local election days would boost turnout and reduce disparities in voting and representation.

For More on this Topic:

• Check out his two-page brief, To Avert the Next Ferguson, Reschedule Elections to Make Local Politics More Representative
• Read his book, America's Uneven Democracy: Turnout, Race, and Representation in City Politics.

Further Reading:

• How The Timing of Elections Shapes Turnout, Election Outcomes, and Public Policy, Sarah F. Anzia, University of California, Berkeley
• Do Election Reforms Promote Equal Participation?, Elizabeth Rigby, The George Washington University

Professor Heather Lee tells the story of how a loophole in the Chinese Exclusion Act led to the Chinese restaurant boom in America. Drawing parallels to today, she explains the unintended impacts of the law on the U.S. and China.

Professor Gabriel Sanchez breaks down the Latino vote in the 2016 election and unpacks the controversy and misinterpretation of exit poll data on Latinos. He discusses where these voters stand on immigration, the economy, and healthcare.

Tech error fixed: Professor Peter Shane describes the court case that could give the president new authority to fire any federal official, for any reason. He explains the history of the theory behind the court's ruling and arguments for and against it.

Professor Garth Heutel lays out a potentially cost-effective way to reduce global temperatures to stave off global warming. But solar geoengineering is not a silver bullet. While the benefits are clear, the costs are much more uncertain.

Professor Sarah Bowen discusses her research on why home-cooking is not all it's cracked up to be. She gives a more realistic account of the idealized family dinner, and how money, time, and gender norms impact how and when families eat.

Professor Chris S. Parker details why, given America's racial history, the election of Donald Trump is not a surprise. Reactionary parties have always appealed to voters beyond just the rural, working class, and Trump supporters are no exception.

Professor Kathy Cramer shares lessons from her conversations with rural communities in Wisconsin. Rural voters often feel forgotten, misunderstood, and disrespected, which directly affects their sense of politics and whom they elect to office.