Dunn v. Blumstein (1972): The Supreme Court, the Right to Travel & Voting Freedom

This upcoming episode of Unchained Frequency examines the landmark Supreme Court case Dunn v. Blumstein (1972) and what it reveals about the constitutional protections surrounding the right to travel, the right to vote, and freedom from excessive government restrictions.

We break down how the Supreme Court struck down Tennessee’s long residency requirements for voting, ruling that these laws violated the Equal Protection Clause and Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

This episode explains:

• Why the right to travel is considered a fundamental constitutional right
• How residency laws can become unconstitutional barriers to voting
• What the Supreme Court said about freedom of movement and political participation
• How Dunn v. Blumstein connects directly to our ongoing series, License vs. Liberty
• Why these principles still matter today in the struggle between government power and individual liberty

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Citations & Resources for Listeners

Primary Case Text

• Dunn v. Blumstein, 405 U.S. 330 (1972)
  • Cornell Law School: https://law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/405/330
  • Justia: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/405/330/
  • Oyez: https://oyez.org/cases/1971/70-13

Constitutional Annotations

• Right to Travel, Equal Protection, and Strict Scrutiny: https://constitution.congress.gov

Penalty Concept (Historical & Legal)

• Library of Congress — tile.loc.gov

Scholarly Articles

• Liberty, Not License — Florida State University Law Review https://ir.law.fsu.edu
• Suspicion of Membership Tests — FSU Law Review
• Strict Scrutiny as Liberty Shield — Tennessee Bar Association https://tba.org
• Modern Travel Restrictions, Mobile Populations — Sage Publications https://edge.sagepub.com