JMU Debate Watch
“The evidence overwhelmingly indicates that the most important debate, at least in terms of information acquisition, is the first debate … ” -Thomas Holbrook, “Political Learning from Presidential Debates” Presidential debates are an opportunity to hear candidates’...
VA Ballot: What You Need to Know About Virginia’s Amendment One
By Drew Persinger, JMU ‘21 Political Science, Campus Election Engagement Project Democracy Fellow Gerrymandering is the most evil thing that happened to our political system. We have to get rid of the fixed system.” - Arnold Schwarzenegger, Republican,...
‘Slaves of the State’: 13th Amendment, mass incarceration and the prison industrial complex
By Angelina Clapp (JMU '20, Political Science), Kyel Towler (JMU '21, Communication Studies) and Ryan Ritter (JMU '22, History and International Affairs) Read the full paper with footnotes here. Abstract Modern day prison labor in the United States is rooted in the...
New Voting Laws in Virginia
Post by Ethan Gardner, JMU '20, Democracy Fellow Automatic Voter Registration via DMV HB 235: https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+sum+HB235 Delegate Joshua Cole Automatic electronic transmission of voter registration information to the Department of...
Rethinking Policing
1 in 5 Americans interacts with law enforcement yearly. Of those encounters, 1 million result in use of force. And if you’re Black, you are 2-4 times more likely to have force used than if you are White. Center for Policing Equity The death of unarmed Black men at...
Ending systemic racism & creating an inclusive society
To end systemic racism and create an inclusive society, we have to better understand the history and the terms. Here are some definitions, resources and discussion questions compiled by JMU Civic Democracy Fellows Ethan Gardner, Ryan Ritter and Anna Connole. We...