Source: https://takecareblog.com/democracy
Timestamp: 2019-04-19 23:22:19+00:00

Document:
President Trump has repeatedly called into doubt the integrity of U.S. democracy, and favors aggressive limits on freedoms of speech and press.
Some argue that both anti-BDS and public accommodations laws protect against discrimination, and so the First Amendment should treat them the same. But the laws are nothing alike.
President Trump vows to strengthen libel laws after the release of Fire and Fury.
A federal district court in Michigan has upheld a right to display signs depicting aborted fetuses. Environmental Protection Agency employees who publicly criticized the Trump administration had their e-mails scrutinized by a Republican campaign research group.
In the landmark Texas Voter ID case, DOJ has begun its official retreat from the protection of minority voting rights. This is the wrong decision and an ominous sign for the future.
Disclosure laws further First Amendment values by ensuring that consumers have access to accurate information about their rights to state-funded care and how to access these benefits.
Versus Trump: The FOIA Spectacular!
On this week’s episode of Versus Trump, Easha and Charlie discuss all things FOIA—that is, the Freedom of Information Act. Listen now!
A major effort to bar independent research into the efficacy and security of American voting equipment is underway right now.
In a challenge to Texas's strict voter ID law, DOJ has just turned its back on minority voters and victims of discrimination in Texas.
Here I explore the interests asserted by GoDaddy and Google in denying service to neo-Nazis and their ilk. I then consider implications of my analysis for the pending Supreme Court case of Masterpiece Cake Shop v. Colorado Civil Rights Comm'n.
On this week's episode of Versus Trump, Jason, Charlie, and Easha discuss a new lawsuit by four blue states contending that the new cap on deducting state and local taxes—passed as part of the 2017 tax bill—is unconstitutional. Listen now!
On this week’s Versus Trump holiday spectacular, it's all judges, all the time. Charlie, Jason, and Easha take a closer look at a number of the President's judicial nominees—confirmed, pending, and withdrawn—to examine what might happen to Versus Trump cases in years to come. Listen now!
The Bully Podium: Is the First Amendment Defenseless?
Trump has besieged freedoms of speech and press. We must prepare to fight back and defend our liberties.
Unless and until the Supreme Court overrules Clinton v. Jones, that rule is that the president lacks immunity, regardless of where he is sued. Thus, Clinton v. Jones is indeed very damaging to Trump's defense against the various lawsuits against him on the basis of his pre-presidential conduct.
There are strong First Amendment arguments against President Trump blocking Twitter followers due to disagreement with their views.
Versus Trump: Can Courts Tell Trump To Stop Violating The First Amendment?
On this week's episode of Versus Trump, Jason and Charlie talk about a new lawsuit by a group of journalists (filed by the legal group Protect Democracy) that hopes to stop President Trump from threatening adverse government action against those who criticize him. Plus, a Wilbur Ross update and a constitutional trivia question. Listen now!
Versus Trump: How Bad Is It?
On this week's episode of Versus Trump, Jason and Charlie ask the question that so many of us ask frequently: how bad is the Trump Administration? Is it better or worse than we should have expected back on election night in 2016? Listen now!
What is the value to democracy from political gerrymandering for partisan advantage? The intuitive answer is the right one: None.
President Trump’s autocratic, anti-speech tendencies are blurring one of the key boundaries in existing First Amendment law, which draws a line between government suppression of speech and private suppression of speech.
The case against felon disenfranchisement is overwhelming as a matter of public policy. This matters for the constitutional analysis.
On a new episode of Versus Trump, we bring you a podcast version of the speech that Take Care publisher Joshua Matz gave at Harvard Law School on April 3, 2018. The talk, titled "The Legal Resistance to Trump," describes themes, achievements, and limitations of various lawsuits challenging the Trump Administration and its policies. Listen now!
Efforts to purge or delegitimize courts following rulings against government officials or their political party is a hallmark authoritarian move.
The second episode of Versus Trump, Take Care's podcast, features discussion of a lawsuit against President Trump for inciting violence, the Muslim travel ban, and more. Listen or subscribe now!
By Daniel I Morales: Can the federal government make it a crime to encourage or induce a noncitizen to illegally enter or reside in the United States?
Let's not kid ourselves. Today's decision in NIFLA is an ideological decision.
A free press and a strong judiciary are among the best bulwarks against authoritarianism, and we need one to have the other.
By Sonja West: In response to Trump's attacks, we should embrace the unique constitutional status of journalists and mount defenses based on the First Amendment Press Clause.
In defending our democratic system, 'We the People' can look to the Constitution itself as a beacon that defines the rights we are owed.
Thanks to the Supreme Court's ruling in Matal v. Tam, the government speech doctrine will not swallow the First Amendment.
Conservative legal activists have pushed a sweeping view of the First Amendment’s protection against compelled speech. These new complicity claims should fail.
Elements of the Republican Party have proposed eliminating the Budget Analysis Division of the Congressional Budget Office.
Just 100 days into the Trump Administration—the Administration that gave rise to the concept of #AlternativeFacts—there is reason to worry that facts don’t matter to the Justice Department now led by Trump’s Attorney General, Jeff Sessions.
While bleak, planning to lose is not about conceding defeat. It’s about laying the groundwork for a brighter future and avoiding precedential barriers to that future.
We honor Washington and Jefferson despite the fact that they owned slaves, whereas memorials to the likes of Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, and Stonewall Jackson honor them because they fought for a secessionist movement that had the preservation of slavery as its organizing principle.
We'll be having a panel discussion on conventions, norms, and constitutional governance at AALS on Thursday, January 4th.
We thank all of the scholars and lawyers who participated in this symposium on our book, How to Save a Constitutional Democracy.
On this week’s episode of Versus Trump, we discuss the litigation against the newly-created Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, that has Kansas Secretary of State—and repeat defendant in voting rights litigation—Kris Kobach as its now-infamous Vice Chair. Listen now!
Some people are trying to sue the President for violence that erupted at his campaign rallies. But if they're successful, it might make life more difficult for many others, like Black Lives Matter, who regularly speak passionately about controversial issues.
On a new episode of Versus Trump, Jason, Easha, and Charlie tackle an unexpected new lawsuit against the Trump Administration by, of all people, Paul Manafort. And they discuss the President's threats to sue the publisher of Fire and Fury for defamation. Listen now!
Trump’s intemperate attacks on political speech he dislikes are inconsistent with democratic self-government.
Protecting democracies is not a matter of any one election. There’s a long road ahead to save our democracy. Here are some key steps.
On this week’s episode of Versus Trump, Easha, Jason, and Charlie dive into the merits of a lawsuit brought by Twitter users who have been blocked by @realDonaldTrump. They claim the President's blocking violates the First Amendment. Listen now!
By Mark Joseph Stern: From the NFL to Puerto Rico to the impending ban on transgender troops, Trump uses his “free speech rights” to bully minority communities into silence.
Freedom of speech is great. Nobody denies it. But the lawsuit against Trump for inciting violence at a campaign rally is legally meritorious, at least at the motion to dismiss stage. And the notion that finding liability against Trump here would imperil protests for all Americans just doesn't hold water.
Kris Kobach just asked for help building a national voter file in two weeks. That’s massively irresponsible. And it might well be illegal.
Congress might learn a lesson from the structure of the Voting Rights Act, even beyond its substance.
On this week’s episode of Versus Trump, we discuss a lurking issue with opposing Trump in upcoming elections: partisan gerrymandering. Charlie and Easha take a close look at the case of Gil v. Whitford, a case the Supreme Court recently announced it will take up next fall. In Gil, the Supreme Court may boldly announce a new rule that might seriously curb partisan gerrymandering—or the Court may entirely stop courts from being able to hear these cases at all. Listen now!
Recent developments bolster claims that President Trump has violated the First Amendment by blocking people on Twitter.
Collective action has proven an effective response to the President’s attempted interference with the employment of Jemele Hill and NFL players.
On a new episode of Versus Trump, Jason and Easha discuss lawsuits challenging the Trump Administration's decision to ask a question about citizenship on the 2020 census. Listen now!
Given enough time, a movement to treat hate speech as beyond the pale, perhaps as part of a backlash against Trumpism, could result in political changes and transformative judicial appointments that redefine the protections of the First Amendment.
Versus Trump: The Power's Out. Literally.
On this week's episode of Versus Trump, Jason gives a quick update on a case we're watching and then signs off, because, well, in the middle of recording this week's episode, Charlie's power went out. But we'll be back next week with a full show.
In voting rights, as elsewhere, there’s plenty of reason to stay woke. But if you’re looking for evidence of the crumbling of the Republic, the recent voter roll settlement in Kentucky isn’t the place to start.
You want updates, so we've got updates! On this week’s episode of Versus Trump, Jason and Easha revisit several important cases and news items that we've previously mentioned so that you have the latest information on them. Listen now!
A particularly brazen part of Trump’s attack on the press has been his assertion—both as a candidate and as President—that he will change the libel laws to make it easier to sue the media for unfavorable coverage. That won't work, for many reasons. But Trump’s outrageous threats are brilliantly successful in other ways, no matter how unlikely they are to formally succeed.
A Department of Justice, But For Whom?
A letter about how to fix DOJ’s Civil Rights Division simultaneously maintains that we live in a “post-racial world” and urges the Division to take measures that will disenfranchise people of color.
A letter about how to fix DOJ’s Civil Rights Division has some interesting parallels to a recent voting rights dissent.
There might still be some lies that people won't tolerate. Even from lawyers. And even from lawyers who are also politicians. Should those lies be the basis for discipline under legal ethics rules?
By Carlton Larson: There are two forms of treason recognized under the United States Constitution: (1) levying war against the United States; and (2) adhering to our enemies, giving them aid and comfort. Each raises slightly different issues with respect to cyberwarfare.
On this week's episode of Versus Trump, Jason and Charlie talk about a case that fits our podcast on two levels: it's a lawsuit against the Trump Administration about grand jury secrecy, and any decision could impact the Mueller investigation, which is the biggest Versus Trump case of them all. Listen now!
On this week’s episode of Versus Trump, we have an interview about voting laws and litigation with former Hillary for America General Counsel and current voting rights superlawyer Marc Elias. Listen now!
Can the author or publisher of a book be held liable for inducing the breach of a nondisclosure agreement (NDA)? Spoiler alert: The answer is almost certainly no.
Even in these strange and trying times, we would like to think that our Attorney General will follow the law while staffing the division of DOJ charged with realizing the Constitution’s promise of a democracy that’s worth a damn—one open to all citizens, regardless of the color of their skin.
The Constitution protects all speakers equally. Until it doesn’t – as the Supreme Court just made clear in Janus v. AFSCME.
On this week's episode of Versus Trump, Jason and Charlie talk about the fight over Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross's potential testimony in an important lawsuit over the census. Listen now!
On this week's episode of Versus Trump, Jason and Charlie talk about the recent decision that dismissed Stormy Daniels' defamation lawsuit against the President. Listen now!
On this week's episode of Versus Trump, Easha and Jason preview their live show at the ACS National Convention and then discuss the recent decision concluding that President Trump violated the First Amendment when he blocked seven Twitter users from responding to his tweets. Listen now!
By David Gans: Will Justice Kennedy carve out a partisan redistricting exception from foundational First Amendment principles?
Cities need to be recognized as constitutional actors in their own right, worthy of protection and capable of self-determination.
On this week’s episode of Versus Trump, Charlie, Jason, and Easha talk about a defamation lawsuit brought by Summer Zervos, a woman who alleges that she was sexually assaulted by President Trump in a hotel room in 2007. Listen now!
Here's the most important question to ask about indictments, pardons and self-pardons, and obstruction of justice.
The Trump administration—in word and in deed—has engaged in enemy construction of the press.
The commission is not truly bipartisan and is based on false assertions of widespread voter fraud.
Larry Schwartztol of Protect Democracy on how Kris Kobach's request for voter information violated federal law.
Our new book offers a distinctive diagnosis of how democracy is lost, and then roadmaps various pathways along which a reform agenda might proceed.
On this week’s episode of Versus Trump, Charlie has an interview with antitrust expert Lina Khan, Director of Legal Policy of the Open Markets Institute, about the lawsuit filed by the Trump Administration to block the proposed AT&T/Time Warner merger. Listen now!
Contrasting Trump with a grownup professional human being reminds one that Trump does not merely give horrible speeches; he is a horrible person.
A pending defamation suit against President Trump in New York state court raises this important question.
All of those tedious checks and balances and lines of separation that frustrate one and all during times of normal, functional democratic governance have a very real role to play in our constitutional order.
The President's Commission On Voter Fraud Is Not Designed To Seek Data. Instead, The Commission Has Preordained Conclusions It Will Recommend.
Can Trump's Justice Department's position on Masterpiece Cakeshop be reconciled with his own views about professional athletes?
Partisan gerrymandering at its core is viewpoint discrimination pure and simple, and it cannot be squared with our Constitution’s promise that voters choose their representatives, not the other way around.
This week, a federal judge found a discriminatory purpose behind Texas's Voter ID law. On Take Care, Joshua Matz and Leah Litman argue that the Trump Administration's plans for the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division raise grave concerns. Joshua Matz also notes the concern expressed by advocacy groups over Attorney General Jeff Sessions' lack of commitment to protecting voting rights.
Reports indicate that the Crosscheck system promoted by Kris Kobach, vice chair of President Trump’s Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, as a tool to purge voter rolls, has a 99% false positive rate.
Internet libel takedown orders may violate search engines' First Amendment rights. President Trump continues to criticize CNN.
Discussion of President Trump blocking constituents on Twitter, and pro-Trump information spreading on the social media site.
President Trump's voter fraud commission continued to draw significant opposition and criticism, including some resistance from Republican state officials.
Attorney General Sessions and President Trump both made comments slamming NFL players for protesting during the national anthem.
The Administration threatened Wikileaks with criminal action. Meanwhile, the Administration refused to release its visitor logs.
Kris Kobach, appointed by the President, seeks to pass more restrictive voting and immigration laws.
Developments in the First Amendment for the week of March 20, 2017.
A study suggests that confusion over Wisconsin voter ID laws kept thousands of voters from the polls last November. California moved its presidential primary to Super Tuesday.
Analysis continues whether the President violates the First Amendment by blocking Twitter followers due to disagreement with their views.
The President's decision to block users on Twitter may not amount to a First Amendment violation.
An advocacy group filed a lawsuit to make the records of President Trump's Election Integrity Commission public, while commentators continued to criticize the commission.
This week, Daniel Tokaji argued for an active "democracy agenda" on Take Care while a movement for voter ID laws grows in the states, despite no evidence of a large voter conspiracy.
A close special election in Georgia may portend electoral problems for the Republicans. During the 2016 election, the Russian government sought to peddle the myth of voter fraud when it appeared President Trump may lose.
Commentary continued on the President's relationship to free speech in the wake of his attacks on the NFL protests.
The Supreme Court held oral argument in Gill v. Whitford, a major partisan gerrymandering case. Concerns persisted over the impartiality of the Pence-Kobach Voter Commission.
Some Alabama voters have received erroneous messages saying that they are not registered to vote. The D.C. Circuit rejected a challenge to separate federal campaign contribution limits in primary and general elections.
A reporter in West Virginia was arrested after persistently questioning Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price about the AHCA.
A federal district court ruled that a public official's social media pages can be public forums under the First Amendment.
Newly released Supreme Decisions set boundaries on the extent to which the government may limit speech on social media and in the market place.
The Trump Administration's "War on Leaks" risks journalists' FIrst Amendment rights.
As the Trump administration continues to attack the press and free speech, Take Care highlights legal avenues through which the press can push back.
Former Attorney General Eric Holder argues the fight for voting rights is the struggle of our generation. Democratic senators requested the Government Accountability Organization investigate President Trump's voting fraud commission.
More than 40 states have fully or partially refused to comply with the Pence-Kobach Commission’s request for state voter data.
Questions about illegal voting and discussions of how to improve election integrity continue to plague the Trump administration. Professor Larry Lessig has a new proposal for election reform.
President Trump highlights the need to fight for truth.
Since taking office, President Trump has cast doubt on the American electoral process--even as DOJ has stepped away from challenges to restrictive voter identification laws. Here are some useful analyses of the story thus far.
The Sixth Circuit granted President Trump's appeal of a denial of a motion to dismiss a complaint alleging that he incited violence at a rally in Kentucky, and new federal legislation includes protections for whistleblowers.
Developments in voting and elections for the week of March 20, 2017.
Despite studies showing that voter fraud is practically nonexistent, aides connected to the Trump Administration have created an organization to increase voter turnout in areas where the President has high support and discourage “fraudulent” democratic voting.
Commentators argued that President Trump’s sham Commission on Election Integrity is a threat to democracy, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in a case that could have wide-ranging impact on voting rights, and a new Democratic super PAC is fighting back on partisan gerrymandering.
This week, Twitter sued to oppose a demand for the identity of a user critical of the Trump Administration by the Customs and Border Patrol. Erik Wemple writes that President Trump has undermined public trust in the media.
Leah Litman analyzes a conservative activists' letter to Attorney General Sessions in light of the illegal Texas redistricting plan.
President Trump signed an executive order creating a presidential commission on “election integrity” based on his false claims of widespread voter fraud during the 2016 election.
Take Care saw analysis of President Trump's free speech argument in the civil case alleging that he incited violence against protestors by Amanda Shanor, as well as an argument for an active "democracy agenda" by Daniel Tokaji.
Hundreds of thousands of people participated worldwide in Women's Marches on Saturday, protesting the first year of the Trump administration and supporting women's rights.
States continue to resist the voter fraud commission's attempts to collect voting records. Commission vice-chair Kris Kobach is fighting the ACLU's document requests.
Reince Priebus wants to limit American speech against the government, which is probably unconstitutional. President Trump will find no shelter from suit in Clinton v. Jones precedent.
Calls for a "special election" pose major constitutional, political, and policy questions, as Ian Samuel explains for Take Care. Instead, the best way to avoid foreign interference may be to update voting technology.
A member of the President's election fraud commission announced that he is seeking an injunction requiring the commission to release working documents. DOJ officials indicated the commission will not meet again until next year.
Efforts to expand automatic voter registration are picking up steam nationally, and the Supreme Court will hear a significant Ohio voting rights case.
DOJ defends the President’s right to block Twitter users, but is seeking identifying information of visitors to an anti-Trump website.
Twitter users blocked by President Trump sued him and other White House aides claiming the Twitter feed is a public forum. The President's personal lawyer argued that Trump's statements on the campaign trail should be held to a different defamation standard.
President Trump sharply criticized the press during remarks in Phoenix, sparking commentary and criticism.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson may soon be replaced. The D.C. Circuit rejected a challenge to separate federal campaign contributions in primary and general elections.
Analysts wrestle with fake news, President Trump's comments at campaign rallies, and his tweets.
President Trump is actively stoking culture wars in the United States. President Trump's threats to punish NFL players who kneel may strengthen a free speech argument that works in favor of the players' rights.
Congress and the FEC are considering legislation and rules changes to combat foreign interference in elections.
The President's embattled Commission on Election Integrity, which has been sued by numerous voting rights groups, held its first public meeting this week. DOJ has changed tactics in its Texas voter ID case.
The President's voter fraud commission risks voter purges and may become a target for hackers. The Department of Justice reversed its historical position on the Ohio voter roll purge statute.

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