A special CrossCheck Live event titled “Trumping Democracy?“ will be held Thursday evening, February 2, from 5:00p.m. to 6:30p.m. in UCLA School of Law, Room 1347.

➡ View the video recording of this event.

Less than two weeks into Donald Trump’s presidency, the United States has witnessed unprecedented protests.  The day after the inauguration, millions joined in “Women’s Marches” across the country and around the globe.  This past weekend, thousands gathered at several American airports to condemn the President’s executive order targeting citizens from seven majority-Muslim countries.  Meanwhile, the President has fired the Acting Attorney General for refusing to defend the executive order, and his Press Secretary has encouraged dissenting career diplomats to exit the State Department.  Against this tumultuous background, the President is expected to announce his nomination for the Supreme Court as early as this evening, and Democrats have promised to filibuster any nominee who is outside of the mainstream.

Are we facing a constitutional crisis?  Is the President’s conduct trumping core democratic values, such as freedom of religion, rule of law, and equality?  Or is the President simply exercising the robust power of his position, which was conferred by the people?  Are fundamental democratic commitments being sacrificed, or is the left simply overreacting because they are sore losers who disagree with Trump’s policy agenda?  Is Trump’s exercise of executive power nothing more than the manifestation of the basic proposition that elections have consequences?

“Trumping Democracy?,” our third installment of CrossCheck Live, will engage the foregoing themes.  Structured as a roundtable, the discussion will be interactive, nimble, fast-paced, interesting, and challenging.

Come. Listen. Teach. Engage. And learn.  We look forward to seeing you there.

List of Speakers:

  • Asli Bâli, Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law
  • Cheryl Harris, Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Professor in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, UCLA School of Law
  • Hiroshi Motomura, Susan Westerberg Prager Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law
  • Nancy Polikoff, Visiting Professor, UCLA School of Law
  • Adam Winkler, Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law
  • The session will be moderated by Jerry Kang, Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and Devon Carbado, the Honorable Harry Pregerson Professor of Law at UCLA & Associate Vice Chancellor of BruinX for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

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