Voter Disenfranchisement

Join me as we look into voter disenfranchisement through direct ways or from behind the scenes during the election process. Gerrymandering, Super PACs, and more. Participating in elections feels like a burden to many, more so now than ever, what have been some recently revealed causes? And longstanding practices? What are some small steps we can take to begin to stir up shift?   References/Recommendations/Resources:   Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens (2014) (Research Paper) Gilens and Page: Average citizens have little impact on public policy | PNHP Congress literally doesn't care what you think | Represent Us Influence of Big Money | Brennan Justice Center How Corporate Donors Get Their Tax Breaks and 5 Ways to Fight Back | Center for American Progress (CAP) Dark Money Basics | Open Secrets Dark Money | Brennan Justice Center Super PACs & Coordination | Brennan Justice Center Money in Politics | Common Cause  7 Facts about Americans' Views of Money in Politics | Pew Research Center Money, Power, and the Influence of Ordinary People in American Politics | Pew Research Center How Big Money Corrupts the Economy | Democracy Journal It Takes Lots of Money to Win Elections. Here's What You Need to Know | NPR How Jim Crow-Era Laws Suppressed the African American Vote for Generations | History.com History of Voting Rights The Man Who Rigged America's Election Map | Vox (Video) Gerrymandering Definition | Britannica Democracy Lab | TedED 'The Great Hack': Cambridge Analytica is Just the Tip of the Iceberg | Amnesty International History of the Cambridge Analytica Controversy | Bipartisan Policy Center Citizens United Explained | Brennan Justice Center Summary How States Define Lobbying and Lobbyist | National Conference of State Legislatures Political Action Committees (PACs) | Federal Election Commission Summary of The Mueller Report, for Those Too Busy to Read It All | Harvard After Mueller Revelations, How to Protect Election Integrity in 2020 (Video) | PBS News Block the Vote: How Politicians are Trying to Block Voters from the Ballot Box | ACLU Removal of On-Campus Voting on Election Day Sparks Uproar at Purdue | Inside Higher Ed NC Election Officials Removed Nearly 750,000 Ineligible Registrants Since Start of 2023 | North Carolina State of Election Boards Texas officials say they've scrubbed the voter rolls. Here's how to check if you're still on them | Texas Tribune Democracy Diverted: Polling Place Closures and the Right to Vote | The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights