LAW 05 H — The Right to Vote and the Law of US Democracy
Quarter: Fall
Instructor(s): Nate Persily
Date(s): Sep 24—Nov 12
Class Recording Available: Yes
Class Meeting Day: Tuesdays
Grade Restriction: No letter grade
Class Meeting Time: 6:30—8:00 pm (PT)
Please Note: No class on November 5
Tuition: $390
Refund Deadline: Sep 26
Unit(s): 1
Enrollment Limit: 220
Status: Open
Quarter: Fall
Day: Tuesdays
Duration: 7 weeks
Time: 6:30—8:00 pm (PT)
Date(s): Sep 24—Nov 12
Unit(s): 1
Tuition: $390
Refund Deadline: Sep 26
Instructor(s): Nate Persily
Grade Restriction: No letter grade
Enrollment Limit: 220
Recording Available: Yes
Status: Open
Please Note: No class on November 5
Students can choose to attend this course on campus or online. Sign up for the on-campus Section H if you think you might attend class on the Stanford campus at least once. There is no commitment—you can still choose to attend via Zoom for any session. Sign up for the online Section Z if you know you will exclusively attend via Zoom.
The 2024 presidential election is upon us. It is widely perceived to be an "existential" election by both sides, meaning that the fate of US democracy hangs in the balance. Record numbers of Americans believe the election will not be free and fair. Following the 2020 election, which likely was the most litigated in our nation's history, the 2024 election campaigns will take place on the airwaves, online, and in the courts.
This course is intended to give students a basic understanding of the themes in the law and policies related to elections and politics. It will cover all the major Supreme Court cases on topics of voting rights, reapportionment/redistricting, ballot access, regulation of political parties, and campaign finance. As the course will take place during the 2024 election, each class session will also include a discussion of "hot topics" related to the ongoing campaigns and the administration of the election.
The 2024 presidential election is upon us. It is widely perceived to be an "existential" election by both sides, meaning that the fate of US democracy hangs in the balance. Record numbers of Americans believe the election will not be free and fair. Following the 2020 election, which likely was the most litigated in our nation's history, the 2024 election campaigns will take place on the airwaves, online, and in the courts.
This course is intended to give students a basic understanding of the themes in the law and policies related to elections and politics. It will cover all the major Supreme Court cases on topics of voting rights, reapportionment/redistricting, ballot access, regulation of political parties, and campaign finance. As the course will take place during the 2024 election, each class session will also include a discussion of "hot topics" related to the ongoing campaigns and the administration of the election.
No prior knowledge of law or American politics is required.
NATE PERSILY
James B. McClatchy Professor of Law and Professor, by courtesy, of Communication and of Political Science, Stanford
Nate Persily is a professor of law and the founding co-director of the Stanford Cyber Policy Center and its Program on Democracy and the Internet, as well as the Stanford-MIT Healthy Elections Project. He served as the senior research director for the Presidential Commission on Election Administration and has been appointed by courts to draw congressional districting plans for many states. His current work examines the impact of social media and AI on political communication, campaigns, and elections. He is a co-author of The Law of Democracy, and his most recent book is a co-edited volume with Joshua Tucker, Social Media and Democracy: The State of the Field and Prospects for Reform. Textbooks for this course:
(Recommended) Samuel Issacharoff, Pamela S. Karlan, Richard H. Pildes, Nathaniel Persily, & Franita Tolson, The Law of Democracy, Legal Structure of the Political Process (ISBN 978-1684677900 )