Democracy Matters

So you may be wondering, what is Moore v. Harper? This groundbreaking case has been going on for over a year now, and when its final verdict comes out this year, it will have major implications for voting rights for many Americans. In 2021, the Republican-led North Carolina state legislature passed a bill that gerrymanders districts to create a state supermajority for their 14 seats. The map gives the Republicans a 99.9% chance of retaining their majority. The state voters were very unhappy with this and decided to contest this map in state courts, as there was a Supreme Court precedent that stated that federal courts cannot hear partisan gerrymandering cases. They contended that this map violated the North Carolina state constitution’s free election clause. At the time, the North Carolina Supreme Court had a Democrat majority within their elected court. The North Carolina Supreme Court agreed with the voters and struck down the map stating that it was an “egregious and intentional par...

French President Emmanual Macron’s recent decision to pass pension reform via decree — instead of putting it to a vote in the National Assembly — has added fuel to the fire that continues to consume the rubbish-filled streets of Paris.  Earlier this year, despite polls consistently showing a majority in disapproval, Macron decided to push ahead with his most unpopular platform initiative: pension and retirement reform. The law will raise the retirement age to 64 from 62 by 2030 and requires workers to contribute a minimum of 43 years in social security payments for a full state pension. The fact that Macron activated Article 49.3 of the Constitution (similar to an executive order) to pass the reform without a vote turned public anger to outrage. In March, the bill survived a vote of no confidence and was enacted into law. This deepened a widely shared feeling amongst the French public that top politicians do not hear the grievances of their citizens, diminishing trust in the gove...

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The Role of Media in Shaping Democracy: The media plays a crucial role in shaping democracy by providing citizens with information and facilitating public discourse. The media has the power to influence public opinion, hold elected officials accountable, and shape policy decisions. As such, the role of the media in a democratic society is essential. However, the modern media landscape has undergone significant changes with the rise of social media and the proliferation of biased news sources. This has raised questions about the role of the media in shaping democracy and its impact on the public. In this blog, we will explore the role of the media in shaping democracy, its importance, and the challenges that must be addressed to ensure that the media continues to play a constructive role in our democratic system. What the Media does: As mentioned, the media plays a crucial role by influencing public opinion, holding elected officials accountable, and shaping policy decisions. The role o...

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