Kagan faulted Supreme Court rulings for weakening US democracy
Why it matters: Her warning came two weeks before the midterms, as redistricting and campaign finance rules shape control of Congress.
Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan said Tuesday that recent rulings by the court’s conservative majority have made the United States more polarized and less democratic, criticizing decisions on partisan gerrymandering, voting rights and campaign finance. Speaking at Catholic University’s law school in Washington, Kagan said both parties have entered a “race to the bottom” in redrawing congressional maps to lock in political advantage. She argued that an April decision narrowing the Voting Rights Act and a June ruling striking down a cap on party spending with candidate input have damaged the political system. Kagan said the court had failed to grasp the real-world consequences of those decisions ahead of November’s midterm elections.