Research & Reports
The Brennan Center for Justice provides critical information, analysis, and data for elected officials, public policy experts, and journalists.
As an independent, nonpartisan law and policy organization, we conduct rigorous research to identify problems and provide in-depth empirical findings and compelling analyses of pressing legal and policy issues.
Our research reports have proved that federal terrorism policies are failing to go after the deadliest terrorist threats; demonstrated declining rates of violent crime despite critical rhetoric claiming the contrary; made the case for enacting small donor public financing for political campaigns; and revealed a shocking lack of racial, ethnic, and gender diversity on state supreme court benches across the United States.
Recent Reports
State Supreme Court Diversity
Amid growing recognition of disparities in America’s justice system, this report highlights a critical but under-scrutinized problem: the lack of racial, ethnic, and gender diversity on state supreme court benches across the United States.
Crime in 2018: Final Analysis
In this final analysis of crime rates in 2018, we estimate that rates of violent crime, murder, and overall crime declined in the 30 largest American cities, with significant declines in murder.
Social Media Monitoring
Personal information gleaned from social media posts has been used to target dissent and subject religious and ethnic minorities to enhanced vetting and surveillance.
Federal Laws That Protect Census Confidentiality
A fair and accurate census depends on every person’s responses remaining confidential. This report provides an overview of the strong, long-standing legal protections that prohibit the Census Bureau or any other part of the federal government from using census data against the people who supply it.
Wrong Priorities for Fighting Terrorism
Many in federal law enforcement have blamed their inadequate response to rising far-right violence on a lack of statutory authority to prosecute white supremacists and others as domestic terrorists. Our research shows they already have everything they need to do so.