CNN —
A version of this story appeared in the CITIZEN BY CNN newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here.
Richard Hasen, a professor of law and political science at the University of California, Irvine School of Law, is one of the country’s leading experts on election law. His latest book, “Cheap Speech,” explores the rampant disinformation he says is poisoning American politics.
Fredreka reached out to Rick for his views on what ails democracy and how we can fix it.
Here are the results of the exchange, lightly edited for length and clarity:
Q: For years now, you have spoken about threats to American democracy – whether it’s the corrosive impact of unlimited outside money in elections or the potential for election subversion.
What keeps you up at night when you think about the state of our country and its elections?
The threats to American democracy have changed over time, becoming more serious. Whereas in the past the issues were about whether we had a system of fair representation – things like partisan gerrymandering, spending by ultra-wealthy donors on political campaigns, and concerns about efforts to suppress votes – today’s concerns are more existential. It is not an exaggeration to say that the United States came much closer to losing our democracy in the events following the 2020 election than most people realize. Had the January 6 insurrectionists managed to capture or kill members of the congressional leadership before Congress declared Joe...
Turkish base fake news in Armenia For several days, a video has been circulating on social media claiming that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan allegedly signed a “secret agreement” with EU ...