Definitions

Field guide for the data table presented:

date — The date the action occurred.

category — A short, standardized tag that classifies the action (e.g., Voting rights / access, Politicization of DOJ, Press freedom / media pressure, Judicial manipulation).

actors — The primary people/agencies responsible for (or executing) the action.

jurisdiction — The governmental scope + level where the action sits.

event — A factual 1–2 sentence description of what happened and by what mechanism. (order, bill, lawsuit, policy, investigation, strike, etc.).

source_title — The title of the primary document or article. (prefer the document’s official title; otherwise use the outlet’s headline).

source_url — A stable, canonical link to the evidence. (court docket/order, statute, agency page, or reputable outlet like AP/Reuters/papers of record).

evidence_type — What kind of source it is. (e.g., Court order, Docket entry, Executive order, Agency press release, Legislation, News report (Reuters), News report (AP), NGO analysis).

quote — A short, verbatim line from the source that substantiates the event.

venue — The forum/institution where the action occurred or was decided.

legal_outcome — The current status or disposition, in plain terms (e.g., Blocked/Enjoined, In effect/Upheld, Pending, Dismissed/Ended, Remedy Ordered). Optionally append a short note like Prelim. injunction 2025-09-19; on appeal.

How We Choose Sources:

Evidence first. Each entry links to a document you can verify yourself. We prioritize, in this order:

Primary records are court opinions and orders, dockets, indictments, statutes, agency rules/notices, executive orders, hearing transcripts and official data.

Wire-service reporting: AP and Reuters for fast, careful, on-the-record coverage and transparent corrections.

Papers of record & reputable outlets: outlets with strong editorial standards and corrections policies (e.g., The Washington Post, The New York Times, major regional papers).

Expert organizations: nonpartisan think tanks, academic centers, and watchdogs—used mainly to point to primary material.

What we exclude

Anonymous social posts, partisan blogs, and opinion columns as proof.

Single-source allegations that lack documents or independent confirmation.

Aggregators or rewrites when the originating document or first-party report is available.

Verification & presentation:

We quote sparingly and link to the canonical source (statute page, court docket entry, agency PDF, or the original news report).

If facts are disputed, we label them and include the current legal status (e.g., pending, enjoined, upheld).

When multiple good sources exist, we select one and may list alternates to mitigate link rot.

Scope reminder:

The project tracks actions by Donald Trump and Republican officials/appointees and the institutional responses. (courts, legislatures, watchdogs), so readers can see both the pressure and the guardrails.