News from

Civics

Reset All Filters
152 Results
Supreme Court decision rules Arizona’s laws constitutional
Glass doors read "polling station" with opening times listed

“What you should be doing with voting is trying to make it as easy as possible for people to vote with the fewest restrictions,” says Mary Frances Berry. 

Supreme Court decision rules Arizona’s laws constitutional

In Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee, the Supreme Court ruled that Arizona’s election laws—pertaining to out of precinct ballots and whether or not third parties can pick up and deliver absentee ballots—do not violate the Voting Rights Act.

Kristina Linnea García

Anti-trans legislation: ‘Game pieces in the culture wars’
progressive lgbtq flag

Philadelphians celebrate the outcome of 2020’s presidential election, waving the Progress Pride Flag while marching through Center City. The U.S. saw the rollback of trans civil rights protections in health care, education, housing, employment, and other areas under the Trump administration. (Image: Rashaad Jorden, also featured on homepage)

Anti-trans legislation: ‘Game pieces in the culture wars’

With 117 bills proposed across 33 U.S. states, 2021 is a record-breaking year for anti-trans legislation.

Kristina Linnea García , Julian Shendelman

Journalism, law, and freedom of the press
Two journalists take photos in a crowd with a person wearing a face shield in the foreground.

Journalism, law, and freedom of the press

Law student Peter Jacobs draws on his background as a professional journalist for his forthcoming Comment on freedom of the press in the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law.

From Penn Carey Law

Inaugural SNF Paideia fellows reflect on an inspiring first year
three women wearing mask smiles at each other in front of an old stone building

SNF Paideia Fellows Angelina Oh (left) and Amy Krimm (center) chat with Lia Howard, student advising and wellness director, at an informal welcome event held in Penn Commons this spring. (Image: Courtesy of the SNF Paideia Program)

Inaugural SNF Paideia fellows reflect on an inspiring first year

The fellowship program for undergraduates connects their general education and major requirements to public engagement and community building through dialogue across differences.

Kristen de Groot

To the voting booth for Primary Day in the commonwealth
Two masked people standing and one poll worker seated at a table in Houston Hall.

To the voting booth for Primary Day in the commonwealth

Just one day after presiding over the University’s 265th Commencement, Penn President Amy Gutmann, along with voters throughout the commonwealth, picked representatives from their parties to put on the ballot for the November general election.

Penn Today Staff

Five things to know about Georgia’s new voting law
Voters stand in line outside against a white wall, socially distanced and wearing masks.

Georgia’s new voting law has been decried by opponents as designed to disenfranchise minority voters, while supporters argue it in fact expands voting rights. So, which is it?

(Image: Infrogmation of New Orleans)

Five things to know about Georgia’s new voting law

Political scientist Marc Meredith of the School of Arts & Sciences shares his takeaways from the controversial new bill.

Kristen de Groot

The racial burden of cleaning voter rolls
An illustration of an American flag shows the stripes separating into a maze and one winding up at a ballot box

A new study by Marc Meredith and Katie Steele looks at how cleaning voter rolls impacts minorities.

The racial burden of cleaning voter rolls

A new study by Penn political scientists shows that errors in removing people from voter rolls in Wisconsin disproportionately impacted minorities.

Kristen de Groot

A conversation with Stacey Abrams
Zoom call with a woman in a pink dress on the left and man in blue suit on the right

Stacey Abrams and Ben Jealous during their virtual talk at Penn.

A conversation with Stacey Abrams

The Georgia politician sat down with Ben Jealous, visiting scholar and former NAACP leader, to discuss topics from gerrymandering to romance novels in a virtual discussion.

Kristen de Groot

In conversation with MSNBC’s ‘Go-to data guy’
Steve Kornacki talking while signing his book.

More than 100 members of the Penn community attended an online event where national political correspondent Steve Kornacki shared insights on his career path, his takeaways from the 2020 election, and what polling and election nights might look like in the future.

In conversation with MSNBC’s ‘Go-to data guy’

Members of the Penn community heard from Steve Kornacki, national political correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC, in a conversation moderated by John Lapinski.

Erica K. Brockmeier

Honoring the life and legacy of a trailblazing civil rights activist
Sadie T.M. Alexander in a graduaction cap and gown.

Sadie T.M. Alexander in an academic gown on June 15, 1921. (Image: Penn Archives)

Honoring the life and legacy of a trailblazing civil rights activist

Penn Law is paying tribute to the legacy of Sadie T.M. Alexander, the first Black woman to graduate from the Law School, by launching three new full tuition scholarships created in her honor.

From Penn Carey Law