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Governance & Democracy
101 claims · evidence for and against, weighted by source quality
Debate of the day · Governance & Democracyre-evaluated 10d ago
Imposing curfews during episodes of civil unrest reduces serious violence more than it merely displaces disorder to other times or places
No
In the news: Curfew imposed in parts of central Paris and other cities after rioting across France - BBC · news.google.com
Supports 41%
Against 59%
Evidence balance — weighted by source quality, not votes · 8 arguments
The question is whether curfews imposed during civil unrest reduce serious violence in net, rather than merely relocating disorder across hours or places; the answer matters because the policy's apparent success depends …
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All claims in Governance & Democracy
Imposing curfews during episodes of civil unrest reduces serious violence more than it merely displaces disorder to other times or places
No
Restricting in-person early voting decreases overall voter turnout
Depends on scope
The United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union has delivered fewer benefits than its economic and political costs
Leaning yes
Expanding the size of the U.S. Supreme Court would increase public confidence in the judiciary
Depends on scope
Expanding the Supreme Court would undermine judicial independence by intimidating the justices
Depends on scope
The Supreme Court’s shadow docket systematically advantages presidential power
Leaning yes, with caveats
Immigration judges should have the authority to pause deportation proceedings when doing so is necessary to ensure fair and lawful outcomes
Leaning yes
The benefits of immigration raids and detentions justify using them to enforce immigration laws
No
The U.S. Constitution guarantees citizenship to nearly all people born in the United States
Leaning yes
Abolishing or weakening the Senate filibuster would improve the ability of the U.S. government to enact effective legislation
Depends on scope
Courts should limit governments’ authority to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions
Leaning yes
States should have legal authority to regulate prediction markets alongside federal oversight
Depends on scope
The United States remains fundamentally divided over whether capital punishment should be retained
Leaning yes
Replacing voting machines improves election security and public confidence enough to outweigh its costs
Depends on scope
Public insults by powerful state leaders reduce diplomatic concessions more than they deter adversaries
Depends on scope
Foreign-policy divisions can weaken a party’s electoral support despite agreement on domestic economics
Leaning yes, with caveats
Rising campaign costs undermine political equality
Leaning yes, with caveats
Energy companies can be held legally liable for damages caused by climate change
Leaning yes
Incumbent governments that call snap elections do not systematically improve their electoral performance
Leaning yes, with caveats
Moral identities drive more of America’s gun and abortion divide than policy-outcome disagreements
Depends on scope
Supreme Court decisions undermine democratic governance
Leaning yes, with caveats
US election systems can be made more secure without materially restricting eligible voters’ access to voting
Leaning yes, with caveats
Emphasizing culture-war issues increases a political party’s chances of electoral victory
Depends on scope
Emphasizing women’s health makes the Supreme Court more likely to protect abortion rights
Leaning yes, with caveats
ICE regularly detains children
Depends on scope
Central planning is superior to democracy in the development of technologies
Depends on scope
Candidate campaign visits primarily mobilize existing supporters rather than persuade undecided voters
Yes
Far-right electoral breakthroughs push mainstream parties toward tougher immigration policies without reliably reducing far-right support
Yes
Displaying the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms violates the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution
Depends on scope
Direct cash incentives offered near an election increase voter turnout more effectively than they persuade undecided voters
Depends on scope
ICE detention centers constitute concentration camps
Leaning yes, with caveats
Authoritarian regimes systematically conceal the health status of political detainees to maintain control
Depends on scope
The executive branch has broad authority to set and enforce immigration policy without new congressional legislation
Yes
Conservative political movements are divided over whether the United States should use military force abroad
Leaning yes
Political leaders can materially distort public understanding of history
Yes
Weakening the Voting Rights Act makes it substantially harder to challenge and remedy racially discriminatory electoral maps
Yes
The U.S. response to 9/11 has had a net negative long-term impact on American society and civil liberties
Leaning yes
Sustained nationwide protests can force governments to withdraw or substantially modify unpopular economic reforms
Leaning yes
Populist movements that campaign against corruption tend to weaken independent anti-corruption enforcement after taking power
Mostly yes — with caveats
Government restrictions on political television advertising are generally compatible with the First Amendment
Leaning yes, with caveats
The Supreme Court should restrict lower federal courts’ authority to issue nationwide injunctions against federal policies
Leaning yes, with caveats
Attitudes toward immigration significantly influence voting behavior in Canada
Leaning yes, with caveats
Candidate debates have limited effects on final vote choice
Mostly yes — with caveats
Restricting birthright citizenship undermines the principle of equal U.S. citizenship
Leaning yes
EU member states can reach agreement on a common long-term budget despite divergent national priorities
Leaning yes
The EU can reach a durable long-term budget agreement despite conflicting national interests among its member states
Leaning no, with caveats
Women's Cricket World Cup victories increase government funding for women's sports
Leaning no
Candidates for elected office should accept legitimate election results even when they lose
Mostly yes — with caveats
The SAVE America Act creates barriers that make it harder for people to vote
Depends on scope
Among young voters, fear of mass shootings does not consistently translate into support for stricter gun-control laws
Too close to call
Fear of mass shootings among young voters does not produce consensus in favor of stricter gun-control laws
Leaning yes
Voters’ assessments of the economy influence midterm choices more than their views on foreign policy or the president’s performance
Leaning no, with caveats
The DOJ’s upcoming immigration rule will replicate Trump-era mass deportations
Depends on scope
Government advisory bodies should generally be required to disclose their records under public-transparency laws
Leaning yes
Voter-approved abortion-rights amendments leave state courts to define permissible restrictions
Leaning yes
The government should not livestream executions to the public
Leaning yes
Federal assistance in state election administration improves the security and reliability of voting systems
Depends on scope
Internal EU divisions reduce its effectiveness in responding to geopolitical conflicts
Yes
Oil companies can be held legally liable for deceiving the public about the risks of climate change
Leaning yes
The Supreme Court should prioritize environmental protection over limits on federal regulatory authority
Depends on scope
Whether mandatory detention of immigrants facing removal is lawful under U.S. constitutional and statutory law
Leaning no, with caveats
Contentious sectarian parades increase communal-violence risk despite route restrictions
Leaning yes
Documentary citizenship requirements reduce eligible voter access more than they improve election integrity
Yes
Expanded government voter databases improve election integrity more than they increase wrongful voter exclusions
Depends on scope
Court rulings limiting voter-screening practices have little effect on the extent of voter screening in subsequent elections
Leaning yes, with caveats
Using immigration databases to purge voter rolls is more likely to disenfranchise eligible voters than to prevent noncitizen voting
Depends on scope
Courts can apply consistent, enforceable constitutional standards to identify and remedy partisan gerrymandering
Depends on scope
Government officials should not be allowed to exclude news organizations from press access because of their editorial coverage
Leaning yes, with caveats
Broad restrictions on voting by mail disenfranchise more eligible voters than they prevent election fraud
Mostly yes — with caveats
The Supreme Court can meaningfully constrain a president and governing party’s power during election periods
Leaning yes
Using political retaliation as a governing strategy can strengthen a leader’s power while weakening democratic accountability
Leaning yes
Strengthening state preemption of local gun laws increases costly litigation
Depends on scope
Mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day should be rejected even when they were postmarked by the deadline
Depends on scope
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement disproportionately targets Latino people in ways that warrant structural reform
Yes
Age limits should be imposed on elected officials in the United States
Leaning no
The Democratic Party is significantly divided over U.S. policy toward Israel and the Gaza war
Leaning yes
Efforts to reform lobbying practices in the United States have been ineffective, even though there is widespread public backing for such reforms
Leaning yes
Federal courts have the authority to block presidential orders that restrict birthright citizenship
Leaning yes
The IOC gender-eligibility policy fairly balances inclusion and competitive fairness
Leaning yes
Mail-in voting can be regulated to protect election integrity without unfairly disenfranchising eligible voters
Depends on scope
The US executive branch has the constitutional authority to limit birthright citizenship by executive order
Leaning no
Courts should halt construction projects when they judge the projects likely to be unlawful, even before final litigation is complete
Leaning yes, with caveats
Ending birthright citizenship would be legally permissible under the U.S. Constitution
Leaning no
Executive officials should not be allowed to impose nationwide restrictions on mail-ballot procedures without clear statutory authority
Mostly yes — with caveats
The executive branch should be able to undertake major construction on federal property without specific congressional authorization
Depends on scope
Executive orders that restrict mail-in voting are unconstitutional
Leaning yes, with caveats
The Supreme Court’s jurisprudence has effectively nullified or rendered invisible the protections of the First Amendment’s press clause
Depends on scope
Birthright citizenship is a form of legal fraud
Leaning no
A ban on transgender individuals serving in the U.S. military is constitutionally permissible
Leaning no, with caveats
Supreme Court rulings that limit or change mail‑in voting procedures increase voter confusion in elections
Depends on scope
Supreme Court decisions on mail ballot regulations give an electoral advantage to the Republican Party
Leaning yes, with caveats
The U.S. Supreme Court has the authority to intervene in disputes over federal executive orders that regulate mail-in voting
Leaning yes
Mail-in voting increases the risk of voter fraud
Leaning no
Restricting mail-in voting reduces voter participation in U.S. elections
Depends on scope
Restrictions on mail-in voting decrease voter turnout
Mostly yes — with caveats
Restrictions on mail-in voting reduce voter fraud
Leaning no
Divisions within the U.S. Democratic Party over support for Israel reduce its electoral performance in subsequent national elections
Leaning yes, with caveats
Israeli settlers exert influence over West Bank military decision-making
Mostly yes — with caveats
Rules-based controls are ineffective when the targeted parties do not follow rules
Depends on scope
The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown has increasingly targeted legal immigration pathways
Depends on scope
The expansion of executive power through emergency declarations poses a threat to democratic governance
Leaning yes, with caveats
The evidence moved
Immigration judges should have the authority to pause deportation proceedings when doing so is necessary to ensure fair and lawful outcomes
Leaning yes
Replacing voting machines improves election security and public confidence enough to outweigh its costs
Depends on scope
Public insults by powerful state leaders reduce diplomatic concessions more than they deter adversaries
Depends on scope