The Role of Voting in American Politics

Even though it’s a cornerstone of representative democracy in U.S. politics, the right to vote expanded very slowly—and not without a fight in most cases. Today, voting is still contested, as some states have limited the franchise through redistricting, closing polling places, requiring official ID to vote, and other means.

Every time we get ready for an election, voting is on our minds. But those thoughts can be vague and lack historical and political context. With this syllabus, we hope to provide motivation to learn more—and to turn out!

Fighting...