Practical Equality

By @robertltsai. How do we do the hard work of equality in a divided nation? @wwnorton Now in paperback:

[Practical Equality @PracticalEqual]

@joshuarothman writes in @NewYorker: “The gap between intuition and argument—between outrage and the best response to outrage—is the subject of @robertltsai’s #PracticalEquality.” @wwnorton

[Joshua Rothman @joshuarothman]

Most of us agree that too much inequality is bad—but what kind of equality is good? In this week’s @NewYorker, I write about the philosophy of egalitarianism, which is full of puzzles, contradictions, and insights: https://t.co/l8TshJBYO8

[Rᴏʙᴇʀᴛ L. Tsᴀɪ @robertltsai]

On this day in 1800 John Brown was born

[Rᴏʙᴇʀᴛ L. Tsᴀɪ @robertltsai]

“As another season of last-minute U.S. Supreme Court opinions are handed down, Americans are faced with a perennial question: how much compliance is obligatory and how much room is there to disagree?” https://t.co/I8iZbVhH4l

[Rᴏʙᴇʀᴛ L. Tsᴀɪ @robertltsai]

It should be clear by now that SCOTUS’s power is no longer merely interpretation but national policymaking in nature, with all of the hopes, dreams, and demands for accountability that that entails.

[Rᴏʙᴇʀᴛ L. Tsᴀɪ @robertltsai]

To what should you be paying attention if you worry about the future of free and fair elections in the United States? @huntercollege @Roosevelt_House

[Rᴏʙᴇʀᴛ L. Tsᴀɪ @robertltsai]

I’m all for more people reading the Constitution

[Rᴏʙᴇʀᴛ L. Tsᴀɪ @robertltsai]

Where can you play offense if you have a more robust vision of equality? #PracticalEquality

[Rᴏʙᴇʀᴛ L. Tsᴀɪ @robertltsai]

I look forward to addressing fellow teachers on the principle of equality at @ConstitutionCtr

[Rᴏʙᴇʀᴛ L. Tsᴀɪ @robertltsai]

🙌 Yes! potential sources of constitutional ideas are not only the institutions and regimes in power, but also ignored or seemingly defeated ideas

[Rᴏʙᴇʀᴛ L. Tsᴀɪ @robertltsai]

They’re not “purely” political actors. But they nevertheless are quasi-political actors. So long as judges are selected and socially disciplined through partisan methods—and continue to enjoy the equivalent of national policymaking power—any other description is misleading.

[Rᴏʙᴇʀᴛ L. Tsᴀɪ @robertltsai]

Partisan and racial gerrymandering is exploding around the country. Our national government is becoming less representative than ever. I’m reupping my @DemJournal essay on the Founders’ essential mistake, “Not popular enough”

[Rᴏʙᴇʀᴛ L. Tsᴀɪ @robertltsai]

Biggest problem is representation via geography rather than population

[Rᴏʙᴇʀᴛ L. Tsᴀɪ @robertltsai]

“The dream of legal transformation through the federal courts has been killed.” @Roosevelt_House

[Rᴏʙᴇʀᴛ L. Tsᴀɪ @robertltsai]

No better time for the people to restrain both the supermajority and minority wing of our superlegislature

[Rᴏʙᴇʀᴛ L. Tsᴀɪ @robertltsai]

Excellent news—this is the kind of lasting pro-democracy reform a true opposition party should be championing. I wrote about Virginia’s role in distorting democracy through felon disfranchisement in @PracticalEqual:

[Michael Beschloss @BeschlossDC]

LBJ signs Voting Rights Act, US Capitol Rotunda, 1965.

[Rᴏʙᴇʀᴛ L. Tsᴀɪ @robertltsai]

Unelected jurists over time have destroyed a tremendous act of popular sovereignty and engine of pluralistic democracy, turning it into a historic relic.

[Brennan Center @BrennanCenter]

Polls show that public support for Supreme Court term limits is quite high, has bipartisan support, and is relatively stable. https://t.co/XhNw703VxT

[Rᴏʙᴇʀᴛ L. Tsᴀɪ @robertltsai]

Loved my time at @Roosevelt_House discussing presidential power.

[Rᴏʙᴇʀᴛ L. Tsᴀɪ @robertltsai]

“Complex judicial doctrines can serve as speed bumps to coalition building and implementation of valuable policies.” https://t.co/SfCHO8rbJT

[Rᴏʙᴇʀᴛ L. Tsᴀɪ @robertltsai]

“John G. Roberts Jr. has cultivated a reputation for care and caution. The papers reveal a different side…At a critical moment for the country and the court, the papers show, he acted as a bulldozer in pushing to stop Mr. Obama’s plan to address the global climate crisis”