Shows
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanSupreme Court PreviewThis year’s Supreme Court term will be a historic one for the future of presidential power and our system of checks and balances. The Court has steadily chipped away at protections designed to make American democracy fairer, more inclusive, and more representative. In the 2025–26 term, the justices will hear a set of cases that could accelerate that troublesome trend and produce landmark decisions. One case implicates how the Voting Rights Act ensures fair representation in state legislatures. Yet another takes up the controversy over the president’s asserted power to unilaterally impose tariffs. Learn about the major c...
2025-10-0743 minThe Briefing with Michael WaldmanThe Campaign to Undermine the MidtermsThe Constitution gives states and Congress the power to run elections, and the president has virtually no role in the process. Yet President Trump ignored this fact and issued an executive order in March that aims to overhaul the nation’s election systems. His administration is dismantling a federal agency responsible for protecting election security. And it has targeted and threatened election officials and others who keep elections free and fair, while supporting those who undermine elections, including the January 6 rioters.A new report from the Brennan Center connects the dots between these unprecedented, and in some ca...
2025-09-2652 minThe Briefing with Michael WaldmanThe Next Phase of the FightChallenges to democracy intensified over the summer. The National Guard deployed in California. The Supreme Court ruled on presidential power using the shadow docket. In Texas, an egregious gerrymander has set off a partisan war nationally. Now the fall will mark the next phase of the fight for the Constitution. Will the rule of law hold? How will the 2026 election unfold?Brennan Center experts discuss some of the biggest news stories of the past three months and explore what will come next in the struggle to uphold democratic values. Speakers:Kareem Crayton, Vice P...
2025-09-0947 min
Talkin‘ Politics & Religion Without Killin‘ Each OtherGuardrails of Democracy: Daniel Weiner of the Brennan Center on Authoritarianism, Election Integrity, and Legal GuardrailsWhat happens when law firms, universities, and elections come under fire—and how we can all help hold the line for democracy.
🧭 Episode Summary
In this timely and incisive conversation, Daniel Weiner, a leading legal expert on democracy and rule of law, joins host Corey Nathan to unpack the rising authoritarian tendencies in the U.S., how democratic institutions are responding, and why legal guardrails are more critical than ever. Daniel, who serves as Director of the Brennan Center's Elections and Government Program, discusses the fragility of civil society, the weaponization of government power, and practical steps citiz...
2025-09-021h 19Talkin‘ Politics & Religion Without Killin‘ Each OtherGuardrails of Democracy: Daniel Weiner of the Brennan Center on Authoritarianism, Election Integrity, and Legal GuardrailsWhat happens when law firms, universities, and elections come under fire—and how we can all help hold the line for democracy.
🧭 Episode Summary
In this timely and incisive conversation, Daniel Weiner, a leading legal expert on democracy and rule of law, joins host Corey Nathan to unpack the rising authoritarian tendencies in the U.S., how democratic institutions are responding, and why legal guardrails are more critical than ever. Daniel, who serves as Director of the Brennan Center's Elections and Government Program, discusses the fragility of civil society, the weaponization of government power, and practical steps citiz...
2025-09-021h 19The Briefing with Michael WaldmanThe Past, Present, and Future of the Voting Rights ActIn 1965, a nonviolent voting rights march in Alabama culminated in a brutal televised brutal attack by state police. The public outrage that followed prompted Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act, a law meant to dismantle racially discriminatory barriers to voting. Since then, this landmark civil rights law has faced continued attacks. The Supreme Court has weakened its protections, most notably in the 2013 case Shelby County v. Holder. And just this summer, a lower court ruling in Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians v. Howe blocked voters in seven states from using the Voting Rights Act to challenge racially...
2025-08-2633 minThe Briefing with Michael WaldmanOutbreak Behind BarsIn his new book Outbreak Behind Bars: Spider Bites, Human Rights, and the Unseen Danger to Public Health, physician and epidemiologist Dr. Homer Venters reveals the grave reality of how infections and diseases spread in correctional facilities, which are often overcrowded and unsanitary. Detailing first-hand accounts of the spread of tuberculosis, MRSA, and other infections, he shines a light on the critical need to improve health care behind bars. Venters was the chief medical officer of the New York City jail system and is currently a federal monitor of health services in jails and prisons.
2025-08-2034 minThe Briefing with Michael WaldmanThe Rise of the Imperial PresidencyThe executive branch has amassed tremendous power, challenging the constitutional balance among branches of government. This year alone, the president has ignored the laws passed by Congress to fire leaders of independent agencies without cause, freeze the spending of appropriated funds, and deploy the military as a domestic police force.Supporters of vast presidential power have a name for this: the unitary executive. It’s the idea that the Constitution gives the president full personal control over the executive branch and wide latitude to act unilaterally. While legal scholars debate its scope, the theory in...
2025-08-1254 minThe Briefing with Michael WaldmanThe Trouble Between Trump and the States on Education PolicyPresident Trump has ordered cuts to the Department of Education and federal education funding. The brunt of these cuts will likely fall on low-income communities. The president is also demanding changes to school services and curricula, including the elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. State courts and constitutions stand in the president’s way. States are required by their constitutions to provide a public education, and many must meet certain standards, teach certain curricula, and provide student services. In cases where these state obligations conflict with the administration’s orders, both state and federal judges may be cal...
2025-07-2947 minThe Briefing with Michael WaldmanThe Constitutional Obligation to JusticeThe end of the 20th century saw the rise of mass incarceration as well as originalism, the idea that judges must interpret the Constitution according to its supposed original intent. In a new book, Justice Abandoned: How the Supreme Court Ignored the Constitution and Enabled Mass Incarceration, legal scholar Rachel Barkow highlights the conflict between the two. Using six Supreme Court cases, she shows how mass incarceration is at odds with the Constitution’s text and original meaning. In this event, Barkow and former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, who spent eight years overseeing fed...
2025-07-2250 minThe Briefing with Michael WaldmanThe Supreme Court Term In ReviewThis term, the Supreme Court addressed some of the biggest challenges in its history, with a president determined to break through the constitutional limits of executive power and the Court’s own public approval near all-time lows. Did the justices stand up for the Constitution on the biggest issue facing the country, the extraordinary executive power grab? Against this backdrop, the justices handed down rulings in key cases affecting millions of people’s lives, including access to health care, education, and political representation and the power of federal courts to issue nationwide injunctions. ...
2025-07-1553 minThe Briefing with Michael WaldmanThe Guarantee of Birthright CitizenshipOn the first day of his second term, President Trump issued an executive order purporting to strip U.S. citizenship from the children of undocumented immigrants. The order directly conflicts with the plain language of the 14th Amendment, which states that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” And it defies more than a century of case law. The executive order was met with a wave of court rulings blocking its enforcement, and the S...
2025-06-1853 minThe Briefing with Michael WaldmanPresidential Power in the First 100 DaysIn the first 100 days of his second term, President Trump issued more than 100 executive orders aimed at changing policy through executive authority alone. But has this flurry of orders led to meaningful change? Despite Trump’s sweeping executive actions — ranging from imposing global tariffs and targeting major law firms to declaring an emergency at the southern border and attempting to end birthright citizenship — judges appointed from both parties are pushing back. Already, 46 challenges to executive orders are pending in court, with no clear victories for the administration in any of them. Lis...
2025-05-0548 minThe Briefing with Michael WaldmanThe Risks of Government by AIOn the day President Trump took office, he revoked the Biden administration’s executive order that imposed guardrails on the development and use of artificial intelligence technology. Since then, Vice President JD Vance and DOGE have pushed to integrate AI into critical government functions. But government use of AI raises important questions about data privacy and democratic integrity. Will the adoption of AI truly benefit Americans? How can we trust this process given the unprecedented role of tech billionaires in the new administration? And what might come next? Listen to the recording of a conversation with...
2025-04-1451 minThe Briefing with Michael WaldmanPresidents Don’t Control Our ElectionsPresident Trump’s new executive order could disenfranchise millions of American citizens, undermine data security, and decertify voting systems across the country. It would give DOGE access to voter records in every state and decertify every voting machine in the United States, costing states hundreds of millions of dollars. Coupled with the SAVE Act, a voter suppression bill that would require every American to provide a document like a passport or birth certificate to register or re-register to vote, these measures could block millions of eligible American citizens from voting and upend voter registration.Listen to...
2025-04-0450 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanA Presidential Lawbreaking SpreeIn the first few weeks of his second term, Donald Trump has engaged in a display of unprecedented executive power, in most cases without legal authority. This lawbreaking spree has extended to his unelected patron, Elon Musk. Courts across the nation have responded, demanding that the new administration comply with federal statutes and proving that the Constitution still matters. Everyone has to follow the law — even presidents. While no one can be totally sure what will happen next during these extraordinary times, Brennan Center experts can tell you what should happen next, according to U.S. law....
2025-03-0452 min
Flux Podcasts (Formerly Theory of Change)The SAVE Act: The Biggest Voter Suppression Bill in U.S. History? | A Deep Dive with Eliza Sweren-Becker from the Brennan Center for JusticeCongressional Republicans have fast-tracked the SAVE Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act)—legislation that could disenfranchise tens of millions of American voters by imposing strict new citizenship verification requirements. Is this bill really about election integrity, or is it an unprecedented voter suppression effort?Host Jen Taylor-Skinner sits down with Eliza Sweren-Becker from the Brennan Center for Justice to break down the dangers of the SAVE Act, who it targets, and how it could reshape American democracy. From hidden costs to criminal penalties for election workers, this bill is more than just restrictive—it’s a direct attack...
2025-02-2429 min
The Electorette PodcastThe SAVE Act: The Biggest Voter Suppression Bill in U.S. History? | A Deep Dive with Eliza Sweren-Becker from the Brennan Center for JusticeCongressional Republicans have fast-tracked the SAVE Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act)—legislation that could disenfranchise tens of millions of American voters by imposing strict new citizenship verification requirements. Is this bill really about election integrity, or is it an unprecedented voter suppression effort?Host Jen Taylor-Skinner sits down with Eliza Sweren-Becker from the Brennan Center for Justice to break down the dangers of the SAVE Act, who it targets, and how it could reshape American democracy. From hidden costs to criminal penalties for election workers, this bill is more than just restrictive—it’s a direct attack...
2025-02-2429 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanDo the Police Care About White Supremacist Violence?Law enforcement has long overlooked the dangers of white supremacy and far-right violence both in the community and within its ranks. The January 6 insurrection made this problem much harder to deny. In a new book, Policing White Supremacy: The Enemy Within, Mike German draws on research and his experiences as an FBI undercover agent infiltrating white supremacist groups to reveal law enforcement’s alarmingly permissive approach to domestic extremism. Listen to a recording of a conversation with German and Natalie Tennant, Kanawha County commissioner and former West Virginia secretary of state, about these threats and wh...
2025-02-2051 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanTrump's Theory of PowerPresident Trump began his second term with a slew of executive orders regarding the TikTok ban, birthright citizenship, and border enforcement, among other things. While his actions cover a wide range of topics, there is a common theme: the unprecedented broadening of presidential authority. In a new analysis published in Just Security, Dean Emeritus of NYU Law Trevor Morrison analyzes how Trump's claim to an expansive executive power violates statutes and the Constitution. Listen to a conversation with Morrision and Brennan Center Fellow Wilfred Codrington III as they break down Trump’s opening executive orders and...
2025-02-0525 min
News & ViewsEliza Sweren-Becker of the Brennan Center on Jefferson Griffin’s efforts to discard 60,000+ ballotsAttorney Eliza Sweren-Becker of the national Brennan Center for Justice (Courtesy photo)
The big political news story in North Carolina right now revolves around the yet unsettled election for a seat on state Supreme Court. Multiple counts confirmed that the incumbent justice, Democrat Allison Riggs, was the narrow winner over Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin. But more than two months after Election Day, Griffin has yet to concede. Instead, he’s gone to court in an effort to have the ballots cast by more than 60,000 registered voters thrown out on a variety of technical grounds, in hop...
2025-01-2015 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanInsurrection Inc.The 2024 election broke spending records, highlighting the growing power of big money in politics. Megadonors back candidates to push their own interests and buy access and influence in our government. At the same time, the rise in untraceable dark money from undisclosed sources has made it increasingly difficult to identify who is really behind this spending. In a new book, Corporatocracy: How to Protect Democracy from Dark Money and Corrupt Politicians, Stetson University law professor Ciara Torres-Spelliscy reveals how corporations are fueling these trends, from bankrolling politicians to funding candidates with dark money. Listen to...
2024-12-1952 min
RegulatingAI Podcast: Innovate ResponsiblyThe Fight for Fairness and Transparency in AI Systems with Faiza Patel, Senior Director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for JusticeArtificial Intelligence has immense potential, but it also carries risks — particularly when it comes to civil liberties. In this episode, I speak with Faiza Patel, Senior Director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law. Together, we explore how AI can be regulated to ensure fairness, accountability and civil rights, especially in the context of national security and law enforcement.Key Takeaways:(01:53) AI in national security, law enforcement and immigration contexts.(05:00) The dangers of AI in government decisions, from im...
2024-12-1739 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanAnalyzing Trump's Plan to Invoke the Alien Enemies ActDonald Trump has vowed to launch the biggest deportation scheme in U.S. history, in part by invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 on his first day in office. This outdated law ast used to intern tens of thousands of foreign nationals of Japanese, German, and Italian descent during World War II. Does Trump have the power to carry out his plans now? Can we rely on Congress or the courts to stop him? Our expert panel discusses the law’s shameful history, how the incoming administration plans to use the law, and what obstacles might stand in...
2024-12-1350 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanAn Insider’s Guide to the Election ResultsRather than days of uncertainty, voters delivered a snap victory to Donald Trump. How will our democratic institutions respond to Trump’s plans to stretch presidential powers to their limits? Brennan Center experts explore what may come next. Recorded on November 7, 2024. If you enjoy this program, please give us a boost by liking, subscribing, and sharing with your friends. If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts, please give it a 5-star rating. Keep up with the Brennan Center’s work by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, The Briefing: https://go.brennancenter.org/briefing
2024-11-0853 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanWhat's at Stake on State BallotsElecting a president is not the only high-stakes choice voters will make in November. In Ohio, citizens will vote on a constitutional amendment that would end gerrymandering. Voters in 10 states have the opportunity to amend their state constitutions to affirm or expand protections for abortion care. Three states will decide whether to remove language against same-sex marriage from their state constitutions. All states but Delaware require voters to approve proposed amendments to state constitutions. Half of all states have a constitutional right to direct democracy, allowing citizens to place statutory or constitutional proposals on the ballot and p...
2024-10-3149 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanPromoting Justice and Public Safety Since the PandemicCrime has long been a political wedge issue used to stoke anxiety and stir division, and this election cycle has been no different. Although the pandemic crime spike is receding, the politicians who fearmongered about crime in 2020 continue to call for harsher punishments and the repeal of reforms. Law enforcement officials and other experts understand that public safety and fairness are not competing interests — they go hand in hand. Brennan Center research proves as much, and groups like Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime & Incarceration know it from experience. This group of current and former leaders of th...
2024-10-2353 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanLatinos and the Far RightA white supremacist of color seems like a contradiction. Yet recent years have brought to light unsettling examples, including an Afro-Latino leader of the Proud Boys and a Latino mass shooter with neo-Nazi sympathies. These men are among a small but growing number of Latinos in the United States who gravitate toward the far right and adopt radical views on race, Christian nationalism, and immigration. In an eye-opening new book, Defectors, Emmy Award–winning journalist Paola Ramos uses interviews, historical context, and expert analysis to shatter the longtime understanding of Latinos as a political monolith and uncover a d...
2024-10-1753 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanThe Fight Against Originalism ContinuesIn its last term, the Supreme Court undermined the federal government’s power to solve problems and the people’s ability to hold their political leaders accountable. The Court was flooded with false historical arguments, and the justices relied on profoundly flawed ideas about the deep American past to help justify their radical overhaul of the law. Additionally, the Court’s conservative supermajority was forced to confront the implications of one of its most damaging originalist rulings, Bruen, which undermined gun control nationwide. Meanwhile, in lower courts around the country, judges are dealing with a deluge of cases under the Co...
2024-10-1057 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanWhat to Expect From the Supreme Court TermOn October 7, the Supreme Court begins its 2024–2025 term — the fourth in which it is dominated by a supermajority of conservative justices. Just months after a disastrous presidential immunity decision, and in the face of continued controversy over the justices’ ethics and partisanship, the Court will reconvene to hear arguments on issues with profound consequences for American life. Among the questions on the docket: whether so-called “ghost guns” are subject to regulation, whether prosecutorial misconduct invalidates a death sentence, the power of federal agencies to protect waterways, the applicability of criminal sentence reduction laws, and access to gender...
2024-10-0448 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanThe Experts’ Guide to Free and Fair ElectionsElection workers are unsung heroes, ensuring behind the scenes that our elections run smoothly and securely. Yet many people don’t fully grasp what their job entails, leaving room for election deniers to spread misinformation. This lack of understanding has fueled a disturbing rise in threats, intimidation, and abuse against election officials since 2020. This live panel was moderated by the Brennan Center’s Natalie Tennant, former secretary of state of West Virginia, and it featured Adrian Fontes, secretary of state of Arizona; Brenda Cabrera, former director of elections for Fairfax, Virginia; and Brianna Lennon, country clerk of Boon...
2024-09-2751 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanSolutions for a Threatened DemocracyEfforts to undermine trust in elections, marked by disinformation campaigns and attempts to overturn results, have surged. A new book, Our Nation at Risk, exposes how these assaults on election integrity pose a serious threat to national security. Featuring perspectives from leading political scientists, historians, and legal experts, it explores the escalation of these threats and presents concrete solutions to address them. Listen to a recording of our virtual discussion on how to fortify our election systems and rebuild confidence in the fairness of the democratic process from our expert panel: Julian E. Zelizer, Editor...
2024-09-2457 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanThe Data Behind Bail ReformCities, states, and counties across the nation have curbed the use of money bail. Reformers say that jailing criminal defendants who can’t afford to buy their pretrial freedom punishes poverty. Opponents, however, blamed the uptick in crime during the Covid-19 pandemic on bail reform and pushed to roll back the changes. So what’s the truth — did bail reform cause an increase in crime? Terry-Ann Craigie, associate professor of economics at Smith College and economics fellow in the Brennan Center’s Justice Program, and Ames Grawert, senior counsel in the Brennan Center’s Justice Program, compared crime rate...
2024-08-2842 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanA Historic Moment for Supreme Court ReformIt’s time to reform the Supreme Court. The founders would not recognize the modern incarnation of what Alexander Hamilton called “the least dangerous” branch. The Court wields far more power on far more issues than it did in the 18th century. And it does so in the absence of adequate checks and balances. The individual justices hold this power longer than they ever have. For the first 180 years of U.S. history, justices served an average of approximately 15 years. In recent years, justices have served an average of 26 years. Momentum for reform is growing. Numerous polls have s...
2024-08-2154 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanFix The Insurrection ActThe Insurrection Act gives presidents dangerous authority to use the U.S. military as a domestic police force It has virtually no limits on when and how this power can be used, making it ripe for abuse by any leader. Without urgent reforms, the law is a threat to civil liberties — and American democracy itself. In a conversation moderated by the Brennan Center’s Elizabeth Goitein, lawyer and writer Hawa Allan, Harvard law professor Jack Goldsmith, and Brennan Center counsel Joseph Nunn discuss how urgent reforms are needed to prevent the Insurrection Act’s misuse. They also explore...
2024-08-0151 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanA Supreme Fact CheckThe Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority has taken a hard originalist turn, citing history to justify rulings that have eliminated many long-standing American rights. What exactly does originalism mean? Should history be the sole source of rights? And what if the history that the Court has relied on is flat-out wrong? Listen in on a discussion from October 12, 2023 moderated by Adam Serwer of the Atlantic with historians Laura Edwards, professor at Princeton University; Kate Masur, professor at Northwestern University; and Karen Tani, professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Their conversation dissects how history has been us...
2024-07-1054 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanSupreme Court: Ready for Reform?Public support for the Supreme Court has plummeted to an all-time low in the last year as the highest court has been ridden with controversy and ethics scandals. Hard-right rulings from a conservative supermajority have also raised concerns about the judicial independence of the institution. Is it time to reform the Court? Listen in on a discussion between Kenji Yoshino, the Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law at NYU School of Law, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Brennan Center President Michael Waldman about ethics reform, term limits, and other ways the public, the media, and...
2024-07-0352 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanA Politicized Supreme Court Is Remaking AmericaPresidential immunity, limits on gun control, governmental oversight for agencies — the fate of these issues is in the hands of the Supreme Court this summer. Not only is the current Court the most conservative we have ever seen, it is also plagued with ethics violations. Brennan Center President Michael Waldman and Kareem Crayton, the Brennan Center’s senior director for voting and representation, discussed Waldman’s book The Supermajority: How the Supreme Court Divided America. Their conversation explores the threat of the current conservative Court, how this year’s decisions have built on or changed the Court’s previous...
2024-06-2651 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanWhat Originalism Means for WomenThe Supreme Court has turned back time in recent decisions by regressing to an interpretation of the Constitution according to its “original meaning.” What has this meant for women’s rights? Listen in on a panel discussion with Madiba K. Dennie, author of the new book The Originalism Trap; Khiara M. Bridges of UC Berkeley School of Law; Emily Martin of the National Women’s Law Center; and Alicia Bannon of the Brennan Center and State Court Report. They delve into recent cases that have reversed decades of progress for women’s rights, such as the 2022 decision in Dobbs v...
2024-06-2053 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanResisting Minority RuleA governing majority in the United States has never required an actual majority of the voting population. And the tactics of achieving minoritarian control are always shifting. A minority of Americans are now set on thwarting the will of the people through voter suppression, gerrymandering, and even election subversion. In his new book, Minority Rule: The Right-Wing Attack on the Will of the People — and the Fight to Resist It, voting rights reporter Ari Berman charts the rise of this antidemocracy movement in the face of the country’s significant demographic and political shifts. Listen in on a di...
2024-06-1351 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanWhat Comes Next in the Trump Legal Saga?Donald Trump is now the first American president convicted of a crime. The smooth trial process shows that — independent of the outcome — the U.S. justice system can still work, even with a powerful defendant. But full accountability seems far off. The federal courts, including the Supreme Court, have stalled Trump’s prosecution for trying to overthrow the 2020 election and for misuse of classified documents and obstruction of justice. Listen to an expert discussion on how Trump’s defense in the New York business records falsification trial, including Trumps’ accusations of political motivations behind the charges, co...
2024-06-0454 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanThe High Cost of Public ServiceA new Brennan Center report reveals that intimidation aimed at state and local officials is distressingly common: For example, 43 percent of state legislators have experienced threats within the past three years. These threats have serious repercussions for representative democracy. Officeholders report being less willing to work on contentious issues like reproductive rights and gun control and more reluctant to continue serving. Additionally, intimidation is often targeted at groups already underrepresented in government, such as women and people of color. Listen to a recording of our virtual discussion of this alarming trend, as...
2024-05-2251 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanThe Failed Experiment of Mass IncarcerationMost of the more than 1 million Americans in prison — disproportionately low-income people of color — will return to their communities after serving long sentences with few resources and little support. Recidivism rates remain stubbornly high. The criminal justice system, then, fails to produce public safety even as core values such as equality, fairness, and proportionality have fallen by the wayside. The new book Excessive Punishment: How the Justice System Creates Mass Incarceration, edited by the Brennan Center’s Lauren-Brooke Eisen, features essays from scholars, practitioners, activists, writers who experienced incarceration, and others. The contributors explore the social...
2024-05-0852 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanMisdemeanors by the NumbersMisdemeanors, not violent offenses, dominate criminal justice. A decade of reforms has shrunk the sprawling misdemeanor system, but the prosecution of shoplifting, traffic violations, and other lesser offenses remains a burden on vulnerable communities and law enforcement resources even as public concern over physical and social disorder in public spaces spurs calls for renewed enforcement. A new Brennan Center report zooms in on New York City as a case study for how misdemeanor enforcement has changed in recent years, offering insights into the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and reform initiatives like the decriminalization of low-level drug p...
2024-04-2453 min
Conversations on Race and Policing - California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB)March 4, 2024 - In Conversation with Rosemary (“Ruby”) Nidiry (Brennan Center for Justice)
Join us for a conversation with Rosemary (“Ruby”) Nidiry, a Senior Counsel in the Justice Program at the Brennan Center for Justice (link). She manages the program’s Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime and Incarceration project, a coalition of nearly 200 police chiefs, correctional officials and federal and state prosecutors from around the country committed to laws and practices that more effectively fight crime while reducing unnecessary imprisonment. More information here (link).
Recording Coming Soon
Thank you to the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for sponsoring this event a...
2024-04-151h 04
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanDecoding the Trump IndictmentsListen to the recording of our in-person event from last month, Decoding the Trump Indictments. Melissa Murray and Andrew Weissmann, coauthors of the new book The Trump Indictments, discuss the historic charges against the former president in a discussion moderated by Brennan Center President Michael Waldman. Murray is the Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law Faculty and director of the Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center at NYU Law. Weissmann, a professor of practice at NYU Law and a legal analyst for MSNBC, previously served as general counsel to the FBI and one of the senior prosecutors on Ro...
2024-04-0951 min
Justice For Ellen GreenbergPI Thomas Brennan on Seeking Justice for Ellen Greenberg-Part 5In this compelling series of five episodes, Tony Brueski engages in a riveting conversation with Thomas Brennan, the private investigator hired by Ellen Greenberg's parents to delve into her mysterious death. Brennan provides a fresh perspective on this perplexing case, where despite overwhelming evidence suggesting murder, the Philadelphia police continue to classify Greenberg's death as suicide. The discussion includes an analysis of medical expert findings, which question the physical possibility of self-infliction of 20 stab wounds. Join us as we explore the current state of this ongoing investigation and the relentless quest for justice in Ellen Greenberg's name.
What You C...
2023-11-2422 minJustice For Ellen GreenbergPI Thomas Brennan on Seeking Justice for Ellen Greenberg-Part 4In this compelling series of five episodes, Tony Brueski engages in a riveting conversation with Thomas Brennan, the private investigator hired by Ellen Greenberg's parents to delve into her mysterious death. Brennan provides a fresh perspective on this perplexing case, where despite overwhelming evidence suggesting murder, the Philadelphia police continue to classify Greenberg's death as suicide. The discussion includes an analysis of medical expert findings, which question the physical possibility of self-infliction of 20 stab wounds. Join us as we explore the current state of this ongoing investigation and the relentless quest for justice in Ellen Greenberg's name.
What You C...
2023-11-2411 minJustice For Ellen GreenbergPI Thomas Brennan on Seeking Justice for Ellen Greenberg-Part 3In this compelling series of five episodes, Tony Brueski engages in a riveting conversation with Thomas Brennan, the private investigator hired by Ellen Greenberg's parents to delve into her mysterious death. Brennan provides a fresh perspective on this perplexing case, where despite overwhelming evidence suggesting murder, the Philadelphia police continue to classify Greenberg's death as suicide. The discussion includes an analysis of medical expert findings, which question the physical possibility of self-infliction of 20 stab wounds. Join us as we explore the current state of this ongoing investigation and the relentless quest for justice in Ellen Greenberg's name.
What You C...
2023-11-2412 minJustice For Ellen GreenbergPI Thomas Brennan on Seeking Justice For Ellen Greenberg-Part 2In this compelling series of five episodes, Tony Brueski engages in a riveting conversation with Thomas Brennan, the private investigator hired by Ellen Greenberg's parents to delve into her mysterious death. Brennan provides a fresh perspective on this perplexing case, where despite overwhelming evidence suggesting murder, the Philadelphia police continue to classify Greenberg's death as suicide. The discussion includes an analysis of medical expert findings, which question the physical possibility of self-infliction of 20 stab wounds. Join us as we explore the current state of this ongoing investigation and the relentless quest for justice in Ellen Greenberg's name.
What You C...
2023-11-2411 minJustice For Ellen GreenbergPI Thomas Brennan on Seeking Justice For Ellen Greenberg-Part 1In this compelling series of five episodes, Tony Brueski engages in a riveting conversation with Thomas Brennan, the private investigator hired by Ellen Greenberg's parents to delve into her mysterious death. Brennan provides a fresh perspective on this perplexing case, where despite overwhelming evidence suggesting murder, the Philadelphia police continue to classify Greenberg's death as suicide. The discussion includes an analysis of medical expert findings, which question the physical possibility of self-infliction of 20 stab wounds. Join us as we explore the current state of this ongoing investigation and the relentless quest for justice in Ellen Greenberg's name.
What You C...
2023-11-2312 min
Class-1AEp.101 - Justice for Mappa EmployeesToday, Brennan and Meth discuss the fallout at Mappa and animators walking off the job and how abused they are on the Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 production line. #JusticeforMappaEmployees. The animators deserve all the best treatment and we hope that they get what they deserve for their incredible work. Send us a text
2023-11-201h 05Justice For Ellen GreenbergPI Thomas Brennan On Seeking Justice For Ellen Greenberg Part 1In this compelling series of five episodes, Tony Brueski engages in a riveting conversation with Thomas Brennan, the private investigator hired by Ellen Greenberg's parents to delve into her mysterious death. Brennan provides a fresh perspective on this perplexing case, where despite overwhelming evidence suggesting murder, the Philadelphia police continue to classify Greenberg's death as suicide. The discussion includes an analysis of medical expert findings, which question the physical possibility of self-infliction of 20 stab wounds. Join us as we explore the current state of this ongoing investigation and the relentless quest for justice in Ellen Greenberg's name.
Want to...
2023-07-0611 minJustice For Ellen GreenbergPI Thomas Brennan On Seeking Justice For Ellen Greenberg Part 2In this compelling series of five episodes, Tony Brueski engages in a riveting conversation with Thomas Brennan, the private investigator hired by Ellen Greenberg's parents to delve into her mysterious death. Brennan provides a fresh perspective on this perplexing case, where despite overwhelming evidence suggesting murder, the Philadelphia police continue to classify Greenberg's death as suicide. The discussion includes an analysis of medical expert findings, which question the physical possibility of self-infliction of 20 stab wounds. Join us as we explore the current state of this ongoing investigation and the relentless quest for justice in Ellen Greenberg's name.
Want to...
2023-07-0611 min
American Democracy MinuteADM for May 3, 2023: New Brennan Center Survey Shows Election Workers Concerned for Threats & Political Interference in Future ElectionsNew Brennan Center Survey Shows Election Workers Concerned for Threats, Political Interference in Future ElectionsToday's Script: (Variations occur with audio due to editing for time) Today’s Links now below the scriptYou’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.The Brennan Center for Justice just released its annual survey of election workers. A majority of election officials say they are under threat, understaffed and underfunded, and they’re worried about political leaders trying to influence the next election.
2023-05-0201 min
Frolic HarderEp.20 Justice is Served: The Fat Boy DiariesNo topic, just ramblings. Join Matt and Brennan as they recap Matt’s family road trip and acknowledge their deep love of food.
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2023-02-011h 18
Pshht ThemesReality Bites: Justice for Michael!We turn this week to learn more about Erin's youthful indiscretions. Brennan sees boyfriends of Erin's past with all the red flags and we wonder if maybe Ethan Hawke is a culmination of all Erin's boyfriends. This is becoming a very telling episode, AKA, "a dramatic takedown of my life." We have Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, Janeane Garofalo, and Steve Zahn as young college graduates fulfilling part 2 of any coming-of-age story, what do we do when the real world rears its head? Winona must choose between the pretty philosophical jerk and the kind but dorky guy with a stable...
2023-01-211h 48American Democracy MinuteADM for June 28, 2022: Brennan Center Essays Show How Erosion of Democracy Made Overturning of Roe vs. Wade PossibleBrennan Center Essays Show How Erosion of Democracy Made Overturning of Roe vs. Wade PossibleToday's Links: Brennan Center article: Supreme Court’s Abortion Ruling Shows What Happens When Democracy Is ThwartedTexas Tribute: Analysis: Gerrymandering has left Texas voters with few optionsNPR: Supreme Court Rules Partisan Gerrymandering Is Beyond The Reach Of Federal CourtsMother Jones: Eight Years Ago, the Supreme Court Gutted the Voting Rights Act. Widespread Voter Suppression Resulted.You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.A...
2022-06-2701 min
Commissioner in a CarZoom with Czarny: Joanna Zdanys of the Brennan Center for JusticeIn this week's Zoom with Czarny I sit down with Joanna Zdanys of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law. She is the Senior counsel for Elections and Government. We have an in-depth discussion about the upcoming Public Campaign Finance system coming to New York at the end of this year. Its a great interview sand I hope you enjoy it.
2022-03-1836 min
Closer Look with Rose ScottBrennan Center For Justice Releases New Report That Explores Diversity on State Supreme Courts; ATL Councilman Calls For APD To Expand “Duty To Intervene” PolicyIn 2019, the Brennan Center for Justice released the State Supreme Court Diversity. The report outlined racial, ethnic and gender disparities on state high courts across the United States. Georgia State Law professor Tanya Washington, Jonathan Rapping and Ilham Askia, of Gideon's Promise, join "Closer Look." They talk with show host Rose about what newly updated data reveals about the state of diversity as it relates to state supreme courts. Plus, Atlanta City Councilmember Antonio Brown discusses a new resolution that calls for the Atlanta Police Department to expand their "duty to intervene" policy.See omnystudio.com/listener...
2021-04-2638 min
Closer Look with Rose ScottWABE Reporters & Counsel For Brennan Center For Justice Discuss Georgia’s New Election Law and 2021 Legislative SessionLawsuits and protests are underway after Governor Brian Kemp signed an overhaul of the state's election system into law. WABE reporters Emil Moffatt and Emma Hurt join “Closer Look” live from the Georgia State Capitol with the latest. Plus, Eliza Sweren-Becker, who serves as counsel in the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, returns to “Closer Look” to discuss Georgia’s new election law. Lastly, Denis O’Hayer, host of the WABE podcast “Political Breakfast,” offers more insight on Georgia’s historic legislative session.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2021-03-2948 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanAnne Applebaum on the Twilight of DemocracyWhat role do members of the cultural and media elite play in the ascent of nationalist rule? In her new book, Twilight of Democracy, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and historian Anne Applebaum examines the surrogates who enable autocracy. She discusses the patterns of weakening democracies around the world with Washington Post columnist Max Boot.
2020-10-2833 min
Electoral Dysfunction: QuarantinedNo Justice.The bad news? Trump named Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. The good news? He didn't change his mind while we were recording this podcast about Amy Coney Barrett. We also talk injustice for Breonna Taylor and Newsboy Phil declares his SCOTUS candidacy. Featuring Hannah Bell, Robert George, Elliott Kalan, Kim Moscaritolo and musical guest Jordan Wolff. Produced by Tom Brennan and Ned Thorne. Music by JoAnne Harris.
2020-09-271h 19
Commissioner in a CarSean Morales-Doyle of Brennan Center for JusticeIn this week's episode I talk to Sean Morales-Doyle of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law. This well timed interview discusses his work on #AVR, The Florida Felon re-enfranchisement project, and yes, the President's tweets about delaying the election and mail in balloting. Follow Brennan Center's work at https://www.brennancenter.org/
2020-07-311h 01
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanMartin Garbus and the Cuban FiveIn his most recent book, North of Havana, legendary trial lawyer Martin Garbus recounts one of his most high-profile cases: the Cuban Five. In this episode of Brennan Center Live, Garbus talks to Victoria Bassetti about what this case can teach us about the U.S. justice system, American politics, and U.S.-Cuba relations.
2020-07-0819 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanSupreme InequalityIn recent years, the Supreme Court has empowered moneyed interests to wield disproportionate influence in elections, gutted the Voting Rights Act, and upheld President Trump’s travel ban. These decisions fit a troubling, decades-long pattern, argues journalist Adam Cohen. He talks with NYU Law professor Melissa Murray about his new book, Supreme Inequality: The Supreme Court’s Fifty-Year Battle for a More Unjust America, and his finding that since the Nixon era, the Court has done little to protect the rights of the poor and disadvantaged.
2020-06-2426 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanGeorge Washington: You Never Forget Your FirstHow did George Washington view the presidency? What might he think of politics today? Historian Alexis Coe examines America's first president in a freshly humanizing light in her new book You Never Forget Your First. She talks with Julian Zelizer in this new episode of Brennan Center Live.
2020-06-1035 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanSusan Rice on Things Worth Fighting ForIn her memoir Tough Love: My Story of the Things Worth Fighting For, former National Security Advisor and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice reveals pivotal moments from her career on the front lines of U.S. diplomacy and foreign policy. In this episode of Brennan Center Live, Rice talks with NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell about the current state of foreign affairs and the challenges facing American leadership. What are the greatest threats to democracy around the world? To what extent does our current approach to foreign policy advance or endanger our national security? And how do...
2020-06-0323 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanElection MeltdownThe coronavirus pandemic has exposed several problems with the American elections system, but even outside of global pandemic, Americans are increasingly questioning the fairness and accuracy of our elections. In his new book Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust, and the Threat to American Democracy, law professor Richard L. Hasen examines sources of voters’ distrust. In this new episode of Brennan Center Live, he speaks with legal expert Victoria Bassetti and proposes steps to restore voters' confidence.
2020-05-2725 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanWhen Should Law Forgive? Today, with a criminal justice system designed to punish, the U.S. has the highest rate of incarceration in the world. What if the American legal system was set up to weigh grounds for forgiveness? In her new book, When Should Law Forgive?, former Harvard Law School dean Martha Minow argues that we should build forgiveness into the administration of American law. She speaks with NYU Law Professor Melissa Murray in this new episode of Brennan Center Live.
2020-05-2033 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanThe Fight for Reproductive RightsNearly half a century after Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court seems poised to undermine or overturn the landmark ruling. It’s an unnerving time for reproductive rights across the U.S., but it’s not new: social movements, politics, and courts have lead us here. Legal experts Melissa Murray, Reva Siegel, and Kate Shaw trace the evolution of reproductive rights in their new book, Reproductive Rights and Justice Stories. They join Rebecca Traister (Writer at large, New York Magazine) in this new episode of Brennan Center Live.
2020-05-1333 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanThe Revolution in Prosecutors’ OfficesDistrict attorneys wield tremendous power and have for decades been a driving force in mass incarceration. In her new book Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration, journalist Emily Bazelon follows a new crop of district attorneys who are using their offices to pursue criminal justice reform. She discusses these efforts with district attorneys Kimberly M. Foxx and Eric Gonzalez, Fair and Just Prosecution’s Miriam Krinsky, and the Brennan Center’s Lauren-Brooke Eisen. Brennan Center Live is a podcast created from Brennan Center events, featuring fascinating conversations with well-known thinkers on issues like...
2020-04-1543 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanHow Progressives Can Compete for PowerPolicies supported by a majority of Americans are stymied in Washington and state capitals time and again. Enacting this agenda requires progressives to redouble their efforts at gaining power by expanding the franchise, ending voter suppression, and winning judicial elections, argues Caroline Fredrickson, former president of the American Constitution Society, in conversation with Eric Lesh. Fredrickson’s new book is The Democracy Fix: How to Win the Fight for Fair Rules, Fair Courts, and Fair Elections. Brennan Center Live is a podcast created from Brennan Center events, featuring fascinating conversations with well-known thinkers on issues like democracy, justice, ra...
2020-04-0841 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanThe Great Migration’s Complicated LegacyAfrican Americans fleeing racial terror in the South sought refuge in the North but instead encountered discrimination in housing, employment, and policing. Marcia Chatelain, Kenisha Grant, Ted Johnson, and Mark Whitaker discuss the history of the Great Migration and how it reverberates in mass incarceration and voter suppression today. Brennan Center Live is a podcast created from Brennan Center events, featuring fascinating conversations with well-known thinkers on issues like democracy, justice, race, and the Constitution. For more, visit brennancenter.org/podcast
2020-04-0144 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanHow the Tumultuous ’70s Shaped Our Political ConflictsThe upheavals of the 1970s — the Watergate cover-up, defeat in Vietnam, racial conflict, and economic convulsions — formed the contours of today’s polarization, argue Princeton historians Kevin M. Kruse and Julian E. Zelizer. They joined Soledad O’Brien to discuss their new book, Fault Lines: A History of the United States Since 1974. Brennan Center Live is a podcast created from Brennan Center events, featuring fascinating conversations with well-known thinkers on issues like democracy, justice, race, and the Constitution. For more, visit brennancenter.org/podcast
2020-03-2540 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanPreet Bharara on Crime, Punishment, and the Rule of LawReflecting on a distinguished prosecutorial career, former U.S. attorney Preet Bharara discusses the need for lawyers to take into account flaws in the legal system and in human nature in his new book, Doing Justice: A Prosecutor’s Thoughts on Crime, Punishment, and the Rule of Law. He is joined by political commentator Margaret Hoover. Brennan Center Live is a podcast created from Brennan Center events, featuring fascinating conversations with well-known thinkers on issues like democracy, justice, race, and the Constitution. For more, visit brennancenter.org/podcast
2020-03-1840 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanTa-Nehisi Coates on Race, the Law, and PoliticsJournalism and cultural production are crucial to making law and policy, Ta-Nehisi Coates argues, because they expand peoples’ empathy and imagination. In a wide-ranging conversation, the celebrated journalist discusses criminal justice reform, the 2020 election, the #MeToo movement, and more with NYU law professor Melissa Murray.
2020-03-1140 min
Origin Ventures PodcastA Perspective on Online Content Moderation, Technology's Use in Policing, & Government Regulation of Platforms and "Big Tech" from Brennan Center for Justice Counsel Angel Diaz[Network Series] Angel Diaz, Counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice, and Prashant chat about what the right amount of moderation is on platforms like Facebook and Twitter, how technology can be (mis)applied in policing, the government's role in moderating online speech, and regulating "big tech". Angel also shares some advice to entrepreneurs and investors on mitigating the "automating of inequality" and/or bias reinforcement in algorithms and product design. Intro and outro music is "Origin." by Misc.Inc
2019-05-1131 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanLessons From WatergateWatergate revealed a trail of crimes and coverups that brought down a president and changed the course of American history. With Robert Mueller's findings likely to be unveiled soon, what can we learn from Watergate about Trump-era abuses of power? John Dean, who was President Nixon's White House counsel, and Elizabeth Holtzman, who as a member of the House Judiciary Committee voted to impeach Nixon, discuss. Brennan Center Live is a weekly series of podcasts created from Brennan Center events, featuring fascinating conversations with well-known thinkers on issues like democracy, justice, race, and the Constitution.
2018-11-2930 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanVan Jones, Darren Walker: How To End Mass IncarcerationAmerica has five percent of the world’s population, but nearly a quarter of its prisoners. Now, a dynamic movement for change is sweeping the country. CNN host Van Jones and Ford Foundation president Darren Walker on how to keep the momentum going. Brennan Center Live is a weekly series of podcasts created from Brennan Center events, featuring fascinating conversations with well-known thinkers on issues like democracy, justice, race, and the Constitution.
2018-11-2038 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanCarol Anderson: One Person, No VoteNew York Times best-selling author Carol Anderson speaks with Cornell Brooks about her new book on racist voter suppression and the fight against it. Anderson focuses in particular on the drive to weaken the landmark Voting Rights Act, and argues that voter suppression ultimately aims to make its targets lose faith in democracy itself. Ensuring that doesn’t happen could hardly be a more urgent task. Brennan Center Live is a weekly series of podcasts created from Brennan Center events, featuring fascinating conversations with well-known thinkers on issues like democracy, justice, race, and the Constitution.
2018-11-0358 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanVoter Suppression 2018As crucial elections approach, voters from Georgia to North Dakota to Texas are at risk of disenfranchisement, and the result could be further skewed by extreme gerrymandering. Meanwhile, automatic voter registration could expand access to the polls in several states. How will the battle over voting shape the midterms, and what can we do to make sure every eligible American has a chance to cast a ballot? Hear from several of America’s top voting rights lawyers — Dego Adegbile, Julie Ebenstein, Brenda Wright, and the Brennan Center’s Sean Morales-Doyle — on the most urgent issue facing our democracy. Brennan C...
2018-10-3058 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanDanielle Allen: Cuz – A Memoir of Mass Incarceration How did we lose an entire generation to the American prison system following the War on Drugs? In Cuz, The Life and Times of Michael A., the Harvard professor and political theorist Danielle Allen explores the issue through the experience of her cousin, who served 11 years in prison for an attempted carjacking committed when he was 15, then lost his life to violence three years after being released. Allen is joined in conversation by the Brennan Center’s Nicole Austin-Hillery. Brennan Center Live is a weekly series of podcasts created from Brennan Center events, featuring fascinating conversations with well-known thinkers on i...
2018-10-2435 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanTrumpocracy: A Conversation With David FrumDonald Trump poses a grave, long-term threat to our democratic institutions, Atlantic senior editor and former White House speechwriter David Frum has been warning. But, in this wide-ranging conversation with NYU Law School president Trevor Morrison, Frum argues we need to focus not just on Trump’s own behavior, but on “the system of power that enables him.” And Frum explores the ways in which America’s potential retreat from democracy under Trump mirrors developments around the world. Brennan Center Live is a weekly series of podcasts created from Brennan Center events, featuring fascinating conversations with well-known thinkers...
2018-10-1634 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanThe 2020 Census: What's at StakeEvery ten years, the federal government conducts the census of all people in the United States. The stakes are extraordinarily high, particularly in light of the push to include questions about citizenship. The tally determines everything from the allocation of congressional seats and the shape of legislative districts, to the flow of vast amounts of government funds. Political pressure is especially high this time, as demographic change transforms the country. In all, it's a potential crisis looming ahead – with huge ramifications for civil rights and government policy for years to come. How could budgetary constraints, new an...
2018-05-141h 05
My Food Job Rocks!Ep. 113 - [Northeastern Lecture Series] How to Be a Community Hero with Ted Johnson LPD, Senior Fellow at the Brennan Center for JusticeIf you’re in the non-profit space, what do you have to do to jump through the hoops and get funded on your project that will help your community? This is the question I asked Ted Johnson today. Ted leads an incubator that helps push these projects to get funded and we go through multiple scenarios on how to get community projects funded. This includes things I’ve never known. Some examples include ethnic based sororities and fraternities, kickstarters and go-fund-me’s. Other topics we talk about that are super interesting is the comple...
2018-04-0253 min
Keeping Relevant With Ronnie EldridgeDorothy Samuels: Brennan Center for JusticeDorothy Samuels, Senior Fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice, discusses the administration's appointment of judges, observing that "...being a judge is an 'art' and at the Supreme Court level - you are deciding what the law is for the entire country."
2018-01-1100 min
The Good Life: Andrew Leigh in Conversation33. Frank Brennan on activism, justice and a Jesuit life33. Frank Brennan on activism, justice and a Jesuit life
2017-08-1153 minKeeping Relevant With Ronnie EldridgeDorothy Samuels, Senior Fellow, Brennan Center for JusticeDorothy Samuels, Brennan Center for Justice Senior Fellow, analyzes the Supreme Court's decision, affirming women's constitutional right to abortion access. Discussion included voting rights, campaign finance and more.
2016-07-1300 minKeeping Relevant With Ronnie EldridgeDorothy Samuels: Senior Fellow, Brennan Center for JusticeDorothy Samuels, currently a Senior Fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU, calls herself "fortunate" to have been a member of the NY Times editorial board, where she served for more than 30 years, noting the wide array of issues under review.
2016-04-2700 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanDemocracy's Problems and Prospects: A Book Talk with Douglas E. SchoenAmerica’s democracy is floundering, Congress is hopelessly gridlocked, and millions remain without gainful employment. Despite all this, longtime political strategist and polling expert Douglas E. Schoen remains optimistic.
Democracy’s Problems And Prospects represents the best of Dr. Schoen’s distinguished career, which he has dedicated to ensuring that democratic societies reflect the consent and the will of their electorates, and that America defends its interests as well as its values.
2015-03-3122 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanWhat Went Wrong with the FISA Court?The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance (FISA) Court is no longer serving its constitutional function of providing a check on the executive branch’s ability to obtain Americans’ private communications. Dramatic shifts in technology and law have changed the role of the FISA Court since its creation in 1978 — from reviewing government applications to collect communications in specific cases, to issuing blanket approvals of sweeping data collection programs affecting millions of Americans. The report's authors explore the issues with the FISA court and reforms to fix it.
2015-03-3123 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanThe Black Vote & U.S. DemocracyDarryl Pinckney’s new book, Blackballed: The Black Vote and US Democracy, is a meditation on the intersection between civil rights and the history of black participation in U.S. electoral politics. Fifty years after the first passage of the Voting Rights Act, Pinckney investigates the struggle for black voting rights from Reconstruction through the civil rights movement to Barack Obama’s two presidential campaigns. Mr. Pinckney is joined by Wade Henderson, President and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and Brennan's Washington D.C. office director, Nicole Austin-Hillery.
2015-03-3153 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanWhat Caused the Crime Decline?What Caused the Crime Decline? This podcast examines the Brennan Center's new report that explores one of the nation’s least understood recent phenomena – the dramatic decline in crime nationwide over the past two decades – and analyzes various theories for why it occurred, by reviewing more than 40 years of data from all 50 states and the 50 largest cities. It concludes that over-harsh criminal justice policies, particularly increased incarceration, which rose even more dramatically over the same period, were not the main drivers of the crime decline. In fact, the report finds that increased incarceration has been declining in its effectiveness as a cri...
2015-03-1621 min
The Briefing with Michael WaldmanScott Horton Book Talk: Lords of SecrecyIn the last decade, national security issues have increasingly faded from the political agenda, due in part to the growth of government secrecy. In his new book, Lords of Secrecy: The National Security Elite and America's Stealth Warfare, journalist and lawyer Scott Horton explains how secrecy has fundamentally changed the way America functions. Never before have the American people had so little information concerning the wars waged in their name, nor has Congress exercised so little oversight over the war effort. Horton reminds us that publicly addressing the country’s national security concerns is the right and responsibility of a...
2015-02-1854 min
CUNY TV's City TalkIan Vandewalker: The Brennan Center for JusticeIan Vandewalker of the Brennan Center for Justice's Democracy program has produced a number of studies on campaign money - particularly "dark money" and its effect on U.S. politics. The 2014 campaign was the most expensive mid-term election in history.
2014-11-2600 min
2014-06-1839 minCUNY TV's City TalkIan Vandewalker, Brennan Center for JusticeIan Vandewalker, counsel to the Brennan Center for Justice-Democracy Program discusses the Roberts Court: their striking down 7 campaign finance laws since 2006, and most recently McCutcheon, and the influence of "dark money."
2014-06-1100 min
The Criminal Docket#34: Groundbreaking Report on Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Criminal Justice System – Part IIIOn July 17, 2013, The Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, the Foundation for Criminal Justice, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Center for NuLeadership on Urban Solutions, and the New York County Lawyers’ Association released Criminal Justice in the 21st Century: Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Criminal Justice System, a critically important and inclusive examination of the profound racial and ethnic disparities in America’s criminal justice system, and concrete ways to overcome them. This conference report prepared by Professor Tanya E. Coke is based upon a mu...
2013-11-0100 minKeeping Relevant With Ronnie EldridgeLawrence Norden, Brennan Center for JusticeHost Ronnie Eldridge of Eldridge & Co. sits down with Lawrence Norden, Deputy Director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law. The two discuss recent changes in some states' voter registration laws.
2012-09-2600 min