Mission & Vision
The State Democracy Research Initiative’s mission is to foster academic research on state-level democracy, government institutions, and public law across the nation. The Initiative aims to shine a spotlight on the states, which traditionally receive less attention than the federal government in legal scholarship and education, and to serve as a resource for academics, policymakers, and advocates across the country.
Featured Updates
Explainer: Holmes v. Moore
Featured | State Democracy Research Initiative
October 3, 2022
"Explainer: Holmes v. Moore"Explainer: Harper v. Hall
Featured | State Democracy Research Initiative
October 3, 2022
"Explainer: Harper v. Hall"“State Constitutions as a Defense Against Election Subversion”, Lawfare article by Miriam Seifter and Jessica Bulman-Pozen
In the Media | Lawfare
September 29, 2022
"State Constitutions as a Defense Against Election Subversion"Explainer: Wisconsin Supreme Court to consider clarity in ballot questions as it decides the fate of Marsy’s Law
Featured | State Democracy Research Initiative
September 2, 2022
"When Wisconsin voters were asked in 2020 whether to amend the state constitution to better protect the rights of crime victims, the response was overwhelming: the referendum passed by a three-to-one margin. But did voters know what they were getting?"
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Meet the Faculty Directors
Miriam Seifter, Faculty Co‑Director
Miriam Seifter is an Associate Professor of Law and Rowe Faculty Fellow in Regulatory 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 an Associate 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.