In his dissent in the 1932 decision New State Ice Co. v. Liebmann, Justice Louis Brandeis described how “a single courageous State may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory; and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country.”

Nearly a century later, state constitutions are often discounted as irrelevant or outdated, especially when compared to the federal constitution. That disregard, however, belies the outsized impact these documents have on both the citizens of their states and our understanding of republican government.

“Laboratories of Democracy: Nebraska’s Unicameral” explores the story of the Cornhusker State’s one-of-a-kind legislature, showcasing how state constitutions can serve as the testing grounds for our democratic experiment.

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As always, the Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues. All expressions of opinion are those of the speakers.

Featuring:

Brandon Metzler, Clerk of the Nebraska Legislature
https://nebraskalegislature.gov/divis...

Chief Judge Jeffrey Sutton, United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
https://fedsoc.org/contributors/jeffr...

Prof. Charlyne Berens, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
https://journalism.unl.edu/berens-cha...

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Related Links & Differing Views:

Nebraska Legislature: “History of the Nebraska Unicameral”
https://nebraskalegislature.gov/about...

Michigan Law Review, “The Unicameral Legislature in Nebraska”
https://repository.law.umich.edu/cgi/...

Minnesota House of Representatives, “Unicameral or Bicameral State Legislatures: The Policy Debate”
https://www.house.mn.gov/hrd/pubs/uni...

Hastings Law Journal, “American Unicameralism: The Structure of Local Legislatures”
https://repository.uclawsf.edu/cgi/vi...

Nonpartisan Nebraska, “What Makes the Nebraska Unicameral Nonpartisan?”
   • What Makes the Nebraska Unicameral No...  

The Federalist Society: “The Importance of State Constitutions”
   • The Importance of State Constitutions...