Topic: Voting Rights Act

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Redistricting 101: Eight facts about redrawing the US political map

Redistricting occurs at least every 10 years, after new Census data determine which states have gained and lost residents. Here's a primer about the process and its consequences.
Five memorable Washington political protests

Bringing your grievances to Washington in the form of a mass protest is an American tradition that dates back to the late 19th century. Here are five memorable Washington protests.
In Pictures: The debate over gun rights

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Appeals court upholds key provision of Voting Rights Act. Supreme Court could loom

A federal court on Friday rejected an Alabama county's argument that a key part of the 1965 Voting Rights act is outdated. That could set the stage for a Supreme Court hearing.
Does Supreme Court decision on sick leave hint at health-care law ruling?

The sick leave provision and health-care law rely on different sections of the Constitution, but Supreme Court-watchers noted with interest that the justices found Congress had overstepped its authority.
In voter ID case, South Carolina fights back against Obama administration

The Justice Department has blocked a South Carolina law requiring all voters to have government-issued photo IDs, saying it would be discriminatory. The state asked a three-judge panel to intervene Wednesday, saying that the Obama administration is out of line.
Supreme Court tells Texas judges to do a better job on election maps

Saying federal judges in Texas exceeded their authority in rejecting election districts drawn by the Republican-controlled Legislature, the Supreme Court instructed the judges to find remedies closer to the state's maps.
Partisan feud escalates over voter ID laws in South Carolina, other states

The Obama administration has blocked South Carolina's tough voter ID law, citing possible minority disenfranchisement. The spread of such laws is reviving a Democratic-Republican feud over voting rights.
Supreme Court justices face tangled mess with Texas redistricting plan

Supreme Court justices heard oral arguments Monday over competing plans for redrawn legislative districts in Texas amid allegations the state Legislature was diluting Latino political power.
Supreme Court to enter tangled Texas redistricting case

The Supreme Court on Monday will hear arguments over whether federal judges overstepped their authority when they revised state and congressional districts drawn by the Texas Legislature.
US Supreme Court takes up Texas redistricting case

The case involves four new congressional seats and the rising political clout of Latinos in Texas, a state with a history of racial discrimination. Republicans say a map redrawn by a panel of federal judges usurps the role of elected officials.
Robert Reich
The rise of the regressive Right and the reawakening of America

A fundamental war has been waged in this nation since its founding, between progressive forces pushing us forward and regressive forces pulling us backward. But whenever privilege and power conspire to pull us backward, the nation eventually rallies and moves forward.
Why a fast Supreme Court ruling on health-care law might benefit Obama

The Obama administration says it did not consider politics when it asked for a ruling from the US Supreme Court on its health-care law. To be sure, both parties will hope to spin a positive story from the result.
Did California just take a big step toward political sanity?

California's gerrymandered political districts have been a primary cause of the state's partisan gridlock, experts say. New, nonpartisan redistricting maps released Friday could help.
Redistricting 101: Eight facts about redrawing the US political map

Redistricting occurs at least every 10 years, after new Census data determine which states have gained and lost residents. Here's a primer about the process and its consequences.
Democrats' last line of defense against GOP gerrymandering: the Voting Rights Act

Emboldened by new Census numbers, Republicans will use their redistricting power to squeeze Democrats out. President Obama can stop it, if has the guts to use the Voting Rights Act.
Democrats, don't panic over post-Census redistricting

The media are scaring Democrats into accepting their own gerrymandered demise. But Republicans can only gain so much from redistricting.
The Vote
Census 2010 results: Republicans' second big win of the year?

The GOP, which won control of the House in midterm elections, stands to gain more seats as a result of the Census 2010 results, which show a population shift from blue states to red.
Five memorable Washington political protests

Bringing your grievances to Washington in the form of a mass protest is an American tradition that dates back to the late 19th century. Here are five memorable Washington protests.
Supreme Court rejects Massachusetts felons' voting rights challenge

Three Massachusetts felons alleged that the commonwealth violated the Voting Rights Act when it passed a referendum stripping incarcerated felons of the right to vote.
New Black Panther Party voter intimidation case: 'Bombshell' for Obama?

The Civil Rights Commission is investigating claims that the Justice Department inappropriately dropped an investigation into alleged voter intimidation by the New Black Panther Party.
Rise of the YouTube ambush in Election 2010: a case study

Election 2010 campaigns seed town-hall meetings with tough questioners and cameras, in the hope of tarring a rival via a 'YouTube moment.' Here's a look at one recent episode in an Ohio House race.
Before health care reform, Republicans weren't always the party of 'No!'

They all rejected health care reform, but a great many Republicans once voted for the very programs – Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid – that conservatives now denounce as socialism.
April Fools' jokes for 2010 Census form: What is your race? Vulcan.

In a trend worthy of April Fools' jokes, Americans are challenging Question 9 of the 2010 Census form: What is your race? Some are self-defining themselves as 'American' or 'NASCAR.'
In Pictures: The debate over gun rights
One year after his election, what has Obama achieved?

Obama got off to a quick start. But almost one year after winning the presidency, his deeds are at risk of paling next to his aspirations.
Kennedy funeral in the diverse Boston neighborhood he loved

“He could have gone to Hyannis or some other ritzy area, but he chose to come here.”
For blacks, a hidden cost of Obama's win?

His race may hamper his ability to respond to needs of African-Americans, some say.