Institute Index

October 16, 2015 - A growing body of research, including a new report from the Institute for Southern Studies, details the growing gap between those funding elections and we the people.

October 9, 2015 - Civil rights advocates warn that Alabama's plan to close 31 DMV offices where citizens can get an ID they need to vote disproportionately affects African Americans and therefore violates the U.S. Constitution and Voting Rights Act.

October 2, 2015 - A campaign is underway to pressure Congress to pass a law restoring a key civil rights law gutted by the Supreme Court two years ago. Citizens recently marched thousands of miles to press their case with elected officials in Washington, with one march leader giving the last days of his life to the cause.

September 25, 2015 - September marks National Voter Registration Month, created to draw attention to the importance of voter registration. The registration process is currently hindered by outdated technology, particularly in the South, but modernization efforts are making headway.

September 18, 2015 - There's a dearth of women in state legislatures and legislative leadership positions across the South — and it can't be blamed on family roles.

September 11, 2015 - An effort is underway to kill a North Carolina law — the only one like it in the region — that requires utilities to generate an increasing amount of electricity from clean sources like solar and wind. Following the money behind what some are calling the "solar haters" campaign leads straight to dirty energy interests.

August 28, 2015 - A tale of two recoveries, black and white, by the numbers.