Changing how America votes / [edited by] Todd Donovan, Western Washington University.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Donovan, Todd, editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Voting--United States.

Voting.

United States.

Elections--United States.

Elections.

United States--Politics and government.

Politics and government.

Physical Description:

viii, 247 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Maryland : Rowman & Littlefield, [2018]

Summary:

Democracy requires conversations about how its practice can be improved. This is an enduring theme in American politics, and demands for change in how we conduct elections are highly salient today. The crisis of the 2000 presidential election generated demands for changes in election rules, but the response was muted. After 2000, several states adopted photo ID laws, and other rules that made it more difficult to vote. The 2010 Citizens United decision heralded in deregulation of campaign finance. The Voting Rights Act was weakened by The Court in 2013. More recently, the unprecedented presidential election of 2016 generated accusations from the left and right that America's elections were 'a rigged system' of caucuses, conventions, and campaign finance desperately in need of reforms. Changing How America Votes is an edited volume comprised of 15 short substantive chapters on various specific reform topics that examine how electoral democracy in the United States is working, and how it might be improved. Editor Todd Donovan has written brief introductory and concluding chapters, and very brief introductions to the following three thematic sections that divide the readings accordingly: Voting and Participation: Changing Who Votes; Electoral Rules and Systems: Changing How We Vote; and Changing the Role of Parties and Money. In order to facilitate student learning and assist instructors' ability to use the book, this edited volume reads as a coherent text. The contributors, many of whom are accomplished scholars, or who write frequent blog posts and Op-Ed pieces, were asked to write as accessibly as possible for an undergraduate audience, and address many of the following topics: - Why is this issue important? - What would a proposed reform look like? - What are arguments in favor of the proposal? - Is there evidence it might make a difference, and what difference would it make? - Beyond the evidence, is it the right thing to do? List of contributors: Joseph Anthony, Lonna Rae Atkeson, Matt Barreto, Brian Brox, Barry C. Burden, Jason S. Byers, Jamie L. Carson, Jason P. Casellas, Kellen Gracey, Wendy L. Hansen, Ron Hayduk, Jordan Hsu, David C. Kimball, Vladimir Kogan, Martha Kropf, Eric McGhee, Stephen Nu o, Drew Spencer Penrose, Rob Richie, Gabriel Sanchez, Shane P. Singh, Caroline J. Tolbert, Hannah Walker, Holly Whisman, and Kenicia Wright

Contents:

1 Evaluating American Elections: Are They Working Well? / Todd Donovan Donovan, Todd 1

Part I Voting and Participation: Changing Who Votes

2 Compulsory Voting and the United States / Shane P. Singh Singh, Shane P. 14

3 Race and the Right to Vote: The Modem Barrier of Voter ID Laws / Hannah Walker Walker, Hannah, Gabriel Sanchez Sanchez, Gabriel, Stephen Nuño Nuño, Stephen, Matt Barreto Barreto, Matt 26

4 Provisional Votes: An Election Reform to Count More Votes / Martha Kropf Kropf, Martha, Holly Whisman Whisman, Holly 38

5 One Step Forward, Two Steps Back: The Curious Case of Immigrant Voting Rights / Ron Hayduk Hayduk, Ron 52

Part II Electoral Rules and Systems: Changing How We Vote

6 Changing How America Votes for President / Caroline J. Tolbert Tolbert, Caroline J., Kellen Gracey Gracey, Kellen 70

7 Redistricting and Representation: Searching for "Fairness" between the Lines / Vladimir Kogan Kogan, Vladimir, Eric McGhee McGhee, Eric 84

8 Ranked Choice Voting: A Different Way of Casting and Counting Votes / David C. Kimball Kimball, David C., Joseph Anthony Anthony, Joseph 100

9 The Impact of Electoral Rules on Minority Representation / Jason P. Casellas Casellas, Jason P., Kenicia Wright Wright, Kenicia 113

10 The Fair Representation Act for Congress / Rob Richie Richie, Rob, Drew Spencer Penrose Penrose, Drew Spencer 125

Part III Changing the Roles of Parties and Money

11 What's Rules Got to Do with It? Parties, Reform, and Selection in the Presidential Nomination Process / Jason S. Byers Byers, Jason S., Jamie I. Carson Carson, Jamie I. 142

12 Signature Requirements and Ballot Access for Non-Major Party Candidates / Barry C. Burden Burden, Barry C., Jordan Hsu Hsu, Jordan 156

13 Third Parties and the Fight for Electoral Reform / Brian Brox Brox, Brian 171

14 Campaign Finance in U.S. Politics: An Era without Limits / Lonna Rae Atkeson Atkeson, Lonna Rae, Wendy L. Hansen Hansen, Wendy L. 187

15 When Do Election Rules Change? / Todd Donovan Donovan, Todd 203.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Donovan, Todd, editor. Changing how America votes.

ISBN:

9781442276062

1442276061

9781442276079

144227607X

OCLC:

969382323