Past Events

On March 12, the State Democracy Research Initiative and the UW GovLaw Society hosted a panel that discussed how our federalist system creates space for and seeks to manage confrontations between states and the federal government.

On March 6, the State Democracy Research Initiative and the Elections Research Center at UW-Madison hosted an Election Matters 2026 Panel, “The Battle Over Mid-Decade Redistricting,” sponsored by Stafford Rosenbaum LLP.

On October 7th, 2025, the State Democracy Research Initiative hosted “Corporate Law and Democracy: A Conversation with Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick.”

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.

On September 12th, the State Democracy Research Initiative hosted a panel discussion: "Education Rights and State Constitutions", which highlighted the positive right to education found in state constitutions.

On July 10, the State Democracy Research Initiative and the Elections Research Center at UW-Madison hosted the second event in our Election Matters 2025 series: “Year in Review: Democracy Litigation in SCOTUS and the States,” sponsored by Stafford Rosenbaum LLP.

In May 2025, the State Democracy Research Initiative hosted its fifth annual Public Law in the States conference, convening legal scholars and state supreme court justices to discuss a range of state-level issues at the intersection of law and democracy.

On April 1st, the State Democracy Research Initiative and the UW GovLaw Society hosted a panel discussion: “Local Perspectives: Mayors in American Governance.” This panel highlighted the important work of local governments by offering perspectives from mayors from around the United States.

On March 7th, the State Democracy Research Initiative and the Elections Research Center at UW-Madison hosted the first event in our Election Matters 2025 series: “Understanding State Supreme Court Elections: Wisconsin and Beyond,” sponsored by Stafford Rosenbaum LLP.