Mission & Vision
The State Democracy Research Initiative seeks to advance research and dialogue on state-level democracy, government institutions, and public law across the nation. By focusing on the states, which traditionally receive less attention than the federal government in legal circles, the Initiative serves as a much-needed resource for academics, courts, policymakers, advocates, and the public.
Featured Projects
Exploring State Checks Against Federal Overreach
Published: August 8, 2025 Updated: October 23, 2025 States have many tools to help counter federal abuses of power. Facing a torrent of controversial federal government actions, states today are pursuing or considering an array …
50 Constitutions
This website allows you to explore the full, up-to-date text of all 50 state constitutions and allows for searches within and across states. We are also rolling out “Tracking Constitutional Change” features to allow users …
Featured Updates
Ninth Circuit – Quiñonez v. United States Amicus Brief Filed
PDF Available Here On October 22, the State Democracy Research Initiative’s faculty co-directors, Miriam Seifter and Rob Yablon, filed an amicus brief with nine other legal scholars in Quiñonez v. United States, a case before …
October 23, 2025Oregon Court of Appeals – Farrell-Smith v. Oregon Department of Justice Amicus Brief Filed
PDF Available Here On October 16, the State Democracy Research Initiative’s faculty co-directors, Miriam Seifter and Rob Yablon, filed an amicus brief with six other legal scholars in Farrell-Smith v. Oregon Department of Justice, a …
October 20, 2025Beat Academy: The States, Trump and Democracy (Ft. Professors Miriam Seifter and Rob Yablon)
On September 18th, 2025, SDRI co-directors Miriam Seifter and Rob Yablon spoke as panelists on a webinar hosted by Beat Academy. The panel discussed key laws governing federal vs. state powers, the changing scope of …
October 9, 2025Explainer: Can States Prohibit Federal Law Enforcement from Masking on the Job?
Bridget Lavender, Staff Attorney PDF Available Here Published: October 3, 2025 Introduction As the federal government ramps up immigration enforcement under President Trump’s second administration, federal agents sometimes conduct operations while wearing masks or other …
October 3, 2025
Events
There are no upcoming events.
Recent Events
Panel Discussion: Judging in State Appellate Courts
On October 30th, 2025, the State Democracy Research Initiative hosted a panel discussion: “Judging in State Appellate Courts.” This panel highlighted the important and often overlooked role of state intermediate appellate court judges in our legal …
Corporate Law and Democracy: A Conversation with Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick
On October 7th, 2025, the State Democracy Research Initiative hosted “Corporate Law and Democracy: A Conversation with Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick.” During this event, Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick of the Delaware Court of Chancery highlighted the important work and unique positionality …
Election Matters 2025 | Money, Politics, and the First Amendment
On October 3, the State Democracy Research Initiative and the Elections Research Center at UW-Madison hosted the third event in our Election Matters 2025 series: “Money, Politics, and the First Amendment,” sponsored by Stafford Rosenbaum LLP. The …
Meet the Faculty Directors
Miriam Seifter, Faculty Co‑Director
Miriam Seifter is the Richard E. Johnson Bascom Professor of Law at the University of Wisconsin Law School. Her recent work examines state constitutional and administrative law, with a focus on challenges facing democracy at the state level. She teaches state and local government law, administrative law, and property law and is a co-founder of the State and Local Government Law Blog.
For more, see Miriam’s full bio and her publications, or follow Miriam on Twitter: @MiriamSeifter.
Robert Yablon, Faculty Co‑Director
Robert Yablon is a Professor of Law at the University of Wisconsin Law School. His recent work explores questions in political and election law, with attention to redistricting and campaign finance. He teaches civil procedure, federal jurisdiction, and the law of democracy and is an affiliate of the Elections Research Center.
For more, see Robert’s full bio and his publications, or follow Robert on Twitter: @RobYablon.