"A Million Little States" revisits the idea of legal pluralism at a time where liberal democracies are under increasing pressure. Legal pluralism refers to the idea that many competing legal systems and norms may operate within one geographic area.
For example, in the United States, deeply-rooted protections for free speech have been challenged by the criminalization of pro-Palestinian protests; state governments have been given expanded authority to enforce immigration policy, traditionally the job of the federal government; and AI––along with social media more generally––beg fundamental questions about the sustainability of public discourse and in turn, of mass democracy. Looming in the background, climate change erodes borders while destabilizing the promise of linear economic growth. Many have expressed doubt about the ability of liberal democracies to respond adequately to these questions. Legal pluralism offers a flexible framework to address these growing crises without being hindered by the strictures of our current, monolithic political system.
As an interdisciplinary journal, we invite academics both inside and outside the legal academy to address the nation-state's crisis of legitimacy. This may include, but is not limited to, scholars of tribal law, environmental law, internet law, and religious law as well as political and media theorists, anthropologists, economists, activists, and artists.
Selected authors will be invited to present their ideas at a Symposium held on USC campus on April 10, 2025. Priority will be given to authors in the Southern California area.