Heather K. Gerken

Progressive Federalism: A User’s Guide

States and municipalities have a lot of power to challenge Washington. Here’s how they can put it to use.

Living Under Someone Else’s Law

From gay marriage to gun control, states pass laws that go against their neighbors' preferences. But "spillovers" are an essential part of democracy.

Make It Easy: The Case for Automatic Registration

A campaign boiler room is the best place to see the ugly underbelly of our election system. As a senior legal adviser to the Obama campaign, I spent November 6 in the Chicago boiler room, where roughly a hundred people...

A New Progressive Federalism

Distrust of states rights exists for good historical reasons, but today, minorities and dissenters can rule at the local level.