Overview
- Kagan, speaking at Catholic University on Tuesday, accused the court’s conservative majority of issuing a string of decisions that together weaken voting protections and judicial checks on partisan map drawing.
- She linked the 2019 decision limiting federal courts on partisan gerrymandering and this year’s ruling that curtailed Voting Rights Act protections to a mid-decade redistricting wave that has erased competitive and some majority-Black districts.
- Kagan said the Supreme Court’s June decision striking down limits on party campaign spending has opened the door for much larger political spending, which she said distorts competition and alarms many voters.
- She warned that lopsided maps push candidates to focus on primary voters and extreme positions, which increases polarization and reduces incentives for centrist policymaking.
- Kagan noted a separate ruling this year that increased presidential control over formerly independent agencies and said the 6-3 conservative court’s record could reshape who holds power and how elections translate to representation.