Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Dynamics Of Power In Indiana's Voter Identification Law, Zachary Gossett

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Indiana’s voter identification law is controversial. Supporters argue that the law is necessary to protect the integrity of elections. Its critics argue that the law suppresses the votes of racial minorities and other historically marginalized and oppressed groups. The ensuing legal battle culminated in the U.S. Supreme Court case Crawford v. Marion County Election Bd. This thesis investigates this law’s oppressive intent by utilizing qualitative, interpretive content analysis. The arguments within the respondents’ case briefs are interpreted and evaluated through the context in which the law was introduced and enacted and Iris Marion Young’s five faces of oppression: exploitation, marginalization, …