Tag

Democracy

All articles tagged with #democracy

politics2 days ago•6 min saved

Ex-prosecutor urges sweeping crackdown on election lies to protect democracy

Former FBI general counsel Andrew Weissmann argues politicians should be held legally accountable for lies that damage democracy and advocates a Truth in Elections Act to curb election deceit, saying sweeping structural reforms are needed beyond returning to old norms and pointing to international examples; he discusses free-speech concerns, his book Liar’s Kingdom, and the role of courts as venues where truth can be tested even as he notes the personal pushback he has faced from Trump and his allies.

via The Guardian|

#democracy #election-lies #free-speech

politics5 days ago•28 min saved

Trump’s corruption is reshaping how American governance works

Beauchamp argues that Trump’s self-dealing signals a broader project to overturn the US’s rule-of-law, open-access order in favor of personal access and rent-seeking—evidenced by a $1.776B anti-weaponization fund, IRS-audit immunity, 3,700 stock trades before policy shifts, and a $1.55B Trump-family crypto windfall—threatening democracy and the economy by eroding impersonal governance.

via vox.com|

#corruption #democracy #donald-trump

politics9 days ago•18 min saved

From Brown to Ballots: The Unfinished Battle for Voting Power in America

Tracing a century-long arc from Brown v. Board (1954) through the 1964 and 1965 Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts, the piece shows how federal action countered state-backed disenfranchisement amid oral and physical violence in the South, then notes a 2026 Supreme Court ruling that weakened protections for Black-majority districts, sparking renewed mobilization in Selma and Montgomery to defend voting rights and democracy across party lines.

via Letters from an American | Heather Cox Richardson | Substack|

#brown-v-board #civil-rights #democracy

politics9 days ago•13 min saved

Cohen Breaks Down Over Tennessee Redistricting, Ends Reelection Bid

Democrat Rep. Steve Cohen grew emotional during a NewsNation interview after announcing he is dropping his reelection bid in Tennessee’s 9th District amid redistricting that he and Democrats say is partisan gerrymandering intended to help Republicans.

via Mediaite|

#democracy #gerrymandering #politics

politics9 days ago•2 min saved

Booker urges active participation at Alabama voting rights rally

Sen. Cory Booker spoke at a voting rights rally in Alabama, urging attendees to engage in democracy and defend voting protections, underscoring that democracy is not a spectator sport.

via CNN|

#alabama #cory-booker #democracy

music13 days ago•9 min saved

Springsteen Turns MSG Into a Rock Sermon on America

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band deliver a three-hour MSG show that opens with a prayer and a pointed call to defend democracy, weaving decades of songs into thematically charged arcs, featuring Tom Morello’s fiery guitar and a Dylan cover to close, turning the concert into a powerful, unity-driven meditation on America amid contemporary turmoil.

via Stereogum|

#bruce-springsteen #democracy #e-street-band

politics14 days ago•1 min saved

Redistricting Sparks a Coming Era of One-Party Dominance

A Bulwark analysis argues that the current redistricting battles are just the opening rounds of a broader push toward winner-take-all politics, as states move to eliminate Democratic incumbents and potential blue-state retaliation could follow before the 2028 elections, signaling a deepening, highly polarized struggle that tests democratic norms.

via The Bulwark|

#democracy #gerrymandering #partisan-politics

politics14 days ago•6 min saved

When the Court Strips Voting Rights and Reshapes Democracy

Austin Sarat argues that a conservative-leaning Supreme Court has systematically weakened U.S. democracy by gutting section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, enabling partisan gerrymandering and extensive corporate political spending since Citizens United, and rolling back federal protections that safeguard minority voting rights; he traces a pattern from 2010 through 2026 and urges voters to mobilize and press Congress to defend democratic institutions.

via The Guardian|

#campaign-finance #democracy #gerrymandering

world14 days ago•4 min saved

Hungary's new PM vows healing and unity after Orbán era

Péter Magyar, sworn in as Hungary’s prime minister, apologized to civilians, journalists and others harmed under Viktor Orbán, pledging a more free, humane future and a unifying approach as analysts weigh how his leadership will differ from the ruling party's long rule.

via The Guardian|

#democracy #fidesz #hungary

world17 days ago•5 min saved

Hungary installs reformist Péter Magyar as prime minister, ending Orbán era

Péter Magyar was sworn in as Hungary's prime minister after his center-right Tisza party won a two-thirds majority, ending Viktor Orbán's 16-year rule. Magyar vows to restore democratic checks and balances, crack down on corruption, recover public funds, reform state media, and steer Hungary back toward the EU, with aims to unlock about $20 billion in EU funds and reassert Western alignment.

via CBS News|

#democracy #elections #eu

opinion17 days ago•8 min saved

Blocking AI Datacenters: A Grassroots Crusade for Democracy

This op-ed argues that the anti-datacenter movement is a crucial, cross-partisan fight to curb AI infrastructure's power and defend democracy, not mere “nimby” activism. Local moratoriums and community organizing from North Carolina to New Jersey show how residents can push for safety, energy and water safeguards, jobs, and transparency, challenging backroom deals by big tech and investors. Proposals from Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, including state moratoriums and potential federal regulation, are highlighted as ways to leverage public pressure for meaningful AI governance. The authors counter liberal critiques that frame the movement as elitist, insisting that blocking datacenters creates political leverage to rein in tech giants and spur accountable, democratic control of AI. They warn that tech PR, dark money, and aggressive tactics will intensify, but view this resistance as an opportunity to build a broad, populist coalition that can shape a safer, more democratic AI future.

via The Guardian|

#ai-regulation #datacenters #democracy

politics20 days ago•3 min saved

SCOTUS Signals A New Era of Gerrymandered Maps and Weaker Voting Protections

The Supreme Court's GOP-led majority effectively repealed a 1982 Voting Rights Act provision requiring districts with majorities of Black or Latino residents, prompting swift redistricting in states like Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama to favor white Republicans and fueling a renewed, high-stakes fight over how electoral maps are drawn and funded in the U.S.

via vox.com|

#democracy #gerrymandering #politics

world21 days ago•11 min saved

Modi's Bengal Victory Amplifies Questions About India's Democratic Trajectory

Modi’s BJP won West Bengal for the first time, a watershed that, alongside gains in Assam and other states, reshapes India’s political map and sparks debate over whether the country is moving toward one‑party dominance. The piece also highlights concerns about electoral integrity and the fragility of free and fair elections in a democracy marked by rising religious polarization and contested regional dynamics.

via Al Jazeera|

#bjp #democracy #elections

politics23 days ago•5 min saved

Warnock: Court's VRA ruling a devastating blow to democracy, calls for preclearance revival

Sen. Raphael Warnock warned that the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision to narrow the Voting Rights Act will be a devastating blow to democracy, particularly for voters of color in the South, as states pursue aggressive redistricting and voting changes. He urged Congress to restore the Act’s original Section 5 preclearance for certain states and cited bipartisan efforts to ban partisan gerrymandering, though prospects are slim in a divided Senate. With primary elections underway, the ruling’s exact impact on upcoming elections remains uncertain while Republicans push to redraw maps.

via Politico|

#democracy #gerrymandering #politics

world24 days ago•6 min saved

US Drops to 64th in Global Press Freedom as Autocracy Spreads

The 2026 RSF World Press Freedom Index shows a global decline, with more than half of countries in “difficult” or “very serious” categories. The United States falls to 64th, behind Ukraine and peers like Canada and Costa Rica, amid politicized state actions and cuts to public broadcasters. Nordic countries remain the freest, while China sits at 178 as the world’s largest jailer of journalists. RSF urges support for independent journalism worldwide.

via Ars Technica|

#democracy #journalism #press-freedom