Description
Book SynopsisThose who do not have their heads buried too deeply in partisan sands will know that there is something awry with the American form of electoral democracy. Florida''s continuing ability to misplace votes recently and in the 2000 Presidential election is only part of the iceberg we have been made privy to-and Steven Schier takes a good, hard, evaluative look not only at what is there in plain sight, but that which lurks below the surface (and not only in Florida and not only with the electoral college). He further proposes practical improvements that will make our surprisingly peculiar democratic processes healthy, whole, and responsive again.
Identifying four essential evaluative criteria for a democracy that genuinely works, Schier asks us to examine the degree to which our system promotes political stability, the degree to which our elected officials are held accountable, what the problems are with voter turnout and how to improve it, and asks for a meaningful scrutiny of go
Trade Review
An analysis that is once rich and lucid. This book is a keeper, not only as a stimulus to sorting and ranking personal political values, but also as a useful reference work-it is chock full of information. The bibliography is extensive, the text provides easy source and page references, the organization is excellent, and the argument flows smoothly. [Schier's] students must love his classes. Political Science Quarterly
Table of Contents
Preface Introduction 1. What an Electoral System Can Do 2. Compared to What? 3. Why Turnout Fell 4. Direct Democracy or Legislative Government? 5. Four Controversies 6. What Sort of Democracy? Conclusion: Less Peculiar Notes References Index
