Independent agencies are key to maintaining stability during transitions between administrations. Their employees possess critical institutional knowledge that benefits the American people. Additionally, the independence of federal agencies provides an important check on presidential power.
Since the second Trump Administration began, an estimated 199,000 civil servants have left the federal workforce. This has had a major impact on independent agencies, or government agencies that are within the executive branch, but whose leadership cannot be removed at will by the president, unlike cabinet secretaries.
In moments of political uncertainty, concepts like the Insurrection Act or “martial law” can feel abstract – until they don’t. Given the current administration’s recent federal deployment of the National Guard in California and federal takeover of Washington DC, many are wondering: what is martial law? Does the president have the right to use military force in our cities? Are we on the brink of something more dangerous?
Student voters are increasingly powerful — boasting some 40 million eligible voters. However, students face a hidden threat to their right to vote: “Use It or Lose It” voter roll purging laws.
All 50 states, plus Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico, have their own supreme courts. How do they work?
As we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, legal intern Jayla Smith interviewed Chief of Activation and Justice Marcia Johnson about the law's impact and how we can ensure that its legacy continues.
In the age of unmonitored social media and AI, among other informational threats, it’s important to strengthen our media literacy. This helps us spot mis- and disinformation from people who may be trying to manipulate or distort our opinions on voting, democracy, and more.
On March 24, 2025, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Louisiana v. Callais. The case has massive implications for voting rights and democracy, as it involves two related but distinct concepts: racial vote dilution and racial gerrymandering.
The easiest way to separate these two ideas is to examine the winding path Callais took to end up at the Supreme Court.
On May 14, 2025, a coalition of voting rights groups, including the League of Women Voters of Louisiana, sued against a Louisiana law which will make it more difficult for Louisianans to register to vote.
LWV and LWVNJ Responds to the Arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka outside an ICE detention facility.