A Citizen's Guide to U.S. Elections by Panagopoulos, Costas; Weinschenk, Aaron;

Rövid leírás:

This book provides an overview of the basic features that characterize elections in the United States, including levels of current voter turnout and decision-making, money in elections, and the role of parties and the media, for both presidential and congressional races. It then outlines some of the most important problems and challenges that exist within the current system. Although citizens regularly complain about many of the features of our electoral system, they actually already have the tools at their disposal to fix the things they dislike. As a call to action, each chapter features potential solutions to the problems and challenges that exist in U.S. elections.

Hosszú leírás:

Political observers routinely lament that American democracy is broken, and many of them blame electoral malfunction. But is the system really broken? Panagopoulos and Weinschenk make the case that citizens are empowered to fix what’s wrong with electoral politics and renew democracy in America, all within the institutional setup and framework of the existing system. Put simply, much of what is broken can be fixed if people stop throwing up their arms and start rolling up their sleeves to do the hard work of building our democracy. This book provides an overview of the basic features that characterize contemporary elections in the United States and includes discussions about voter participation and decision-making patterns, money in elections, and the role of parties and the media in presidential, congressional and state and local races. It also outlines some of the most important trends and challenges in the current system. As a call to action, each chapter features potential solutions to the challenges that exist in U.S. elections.

"A Citizen’s Guide to U.S. Elections fills an important gap in electoral studies. It manages to be part user’s guide and part call to action, while at the same time maintaining objective and scholarly standards. Each chapter discusses perceived problems, evaluates existing evidence, and offers suggestions for concerned citizens. This book is perfect for the undergraduate classroom, community groups, or the general public. Bottom line: if you need a good grounding in the problems and potential of the U.S. electoral system, this is the book for you. I can't wait to use it in my classroom!"

– Thomas M. Holbrook, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

"Jam-packed with crucial information about contemporary politics and elections, this terrific primer should be required reading for serious students and citizens who want to understand the electoral process and back up their opinions with facts."

– Charlie Cook, Cook Political Report and National Journal

"This is not just a guide, but a perceptive, accessible synthesis of politics and political science. It explores the pressures, patterns and motivations that drive our electoral outcomes -- and can change them. It's enlightening, a great read for political junkies, and a good one for any citizen who cares about democracy and each individual's capacity and responsibility to make a difference."

– Robert M. Shrum, University of Southern California; Senior Advisor, Gore 2000 and Kerry 2004

"A Citizen's Guide to U.S. Elections offers a broad and engaging overview of elections in the U.S. The brief text provides students with a basic overview of electoral politics, situating the discussion in light of important scholarship by political scientists. It also challenges students to engage in a broader discussion about how citizens might engage to improve elections if they are dissatisfied with the current state of democracy in the U.S. A valuable contribution at a time of high levels of cynicism and negativity in politics!"

– Jan Leighley, American University

Tartalomjegyzék:

Table of Contents  1. Introduction  2. Political Participation  3. Money and Special Interests in Elections  4. Presidential Elections  5. Congressional Elections  6. State and Local Elections  7. Political Parties  8. The Media  9. Vote Choice  10. Conclusion Index