Description
Book SynopsisPublic policy in the United States is the product of decisions made by more than 500,000 elected officials, the vast majority of them elected on days other than Election Day. The author systemically addresses the effects of election timing on political outcomes, and her findings are eye-opening.
Trade Review"Political scientists have long lamented the crazy-quilt pattern of American elections but few have systematically studied its effects. In this sharp and careful study, Sarah F. Anzia convincingly demonstrates how oddly timed elections benefit politically organized groups. Timing and Turnout is a valuable addition to the burgeoning literature on local elections." - Eric Oliver, University of Chicago, author of Local Elections and the Politics of Small Scale Democracy "Timing and Turnout offers an authoritative account of the causes and consequences of election timing. Progressive-era reformers argued - and many good-government types today still believe - that separating the timing of local from national elections improves the quality of American local democracy. In a trenchant analysis, Sarah F. Anzia debunks the conventional wisdom, demonstrating how off-cycle elections reduce voter turnout and amplify the power of organized interest groups. Our democracy suffers as a result." - Stephen P. Erie, University of California, San Diego
