Latinos, Native Americans and the Voting Rights Act

Catalog description

This course will tackle some of the most pressing questions in our participatory democracy, specifically voting rights. While the United States often boasts of its extensive franchise, the right to vote for all citizens has evolved slowly, especially for racial and ethnic minorities. In this course we will address two primary topics both related to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and its application today: (1) redistricting and minority representation; and (2) the protection or suppression of the right to vote. In addition to the main text, students will read and discuss primary case law, real court depositions and plaintiff complaints, theoretical and empirical research in law review journals, and evidence-based research in relevant legal and political science journals all related to voting rights and the law.