Election Law – 6880

Fall 2013
Reid Lebeau ’05

This seminar will explore the law governing the right to vote in the United States. We will examine the way the law has shaped the structure of American political participation and we will consider alternative directions American democracy might take. We will begin with an overview of the restrictions on the franchiseresidency requirements, discrimination on the basis of sex and race, and registration practices. Topics will include the individual right to vote, reapportionment, representation of minority interests in democratic bodies, preclearance procedures under the Voting Rights Act, political and racial gerrymandering, direct democracy, and alternative voting systems. If possible, we may also consider legal regulation of political parties and constitutional issues in campaign finance.