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
Election Matters 2022: Redistricting and the Voting Rights Act
Events, Featured | State Democracy Research Initiative
June 30, 2022
On June 30th, the State Democracy Research Initiative and the Elections Research Center presented another installment of the Election Matters 2022 speaker series.Interpretation in the States: Views From the Bench
Events, Featured | State Democracy Research Initiative
May 20, 2022
On Friday, May 20th, the State Democracy Research Initiative welcomed five state supreme court justices for a panel entitled Interpretation in the States: Views From the Bench.Explainer: Wisconsin’s New State Legislative Maps Compare Unfavorably to Other Court-Adopted Maps on Partisan Equity
Featured | State Democracy Research Initiative
April 18, 2022
Explainer By Rob Yablon: "Wisconsin’s New State Legislative Maps Compare Unfavorably To Other Court-Adopted Maps On Partisan Equity"We’re Hiring! Join Our Growing Team
Featured | State Democracy Research Initiative
April 13, 2022
The Initiative is seeking candidates to further our multi-faceted, nonpartisan efforts to advance research and dialogue on pressing questions of public law and democracy in states across the nation. We are currently hiring for the following positions: Staff Attorney or Senior Staff Attorney, and Program Coordinator.
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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.