On June 18, ACS hosted a plenary panel at the 2006 National Convention discussing the enormous and growing gap between rich and poor in the United States. Tragic events, such as Hurricane Katrina, periodically expose the gap and its devastating impact in all facets of life, yet many government policies only widen the gap further. Panelists explored how government measures in key areas —- including tax, labor, health care, welfare, criminal justice and education -— create and exacerbate these inequities with devastating effects on the lives of people ranging from those in the middle class to those living at the margin of our society. What kinds of policies cause the gap to widen, and what kinds of policies would we need to close it? What changes would we need in the national consciousness to create the will to address these problems? What specific policies could be enacted at the local, state and national levels to move us toward a more just society? A transcript of this panel is available in the ACS document clearinghouse.

The Voting Rights Act has been a landmark piece of civil rights legislation since it was first enacted in 1965, and is before Congress again as key provisions are set to expire this year. On June 17, ACS hosted a panel at the 2006 National Convention that examined a number of legal and policy questions surrounding the renewal debate: In light of the Supreme Court’s recent federalism jurisprudence, are there questions about the constitutionality of the Act? Does the requirement of preclearance for certain jurisdictions remain a congruent and proportional response? Does the Act as applied contribute to our growing partisan divide or would it be more divisive as proposed? Do bilingual ballots make sense as a matter of policy? Panelists debated these issues and discussed whether and in what form the Act can best achieve its goal of allowing for meaningful voter participation for all Americans.