Electoral Dysfunction: A Survival Manual for American Voters

by Victoria Bassetti Narrated by Lloyd James, Marguerite Gavin

Overview

Imagine a country where the right to vote is not guaranteed by the Constitution, where the candidate with the most votes loses, and where paperwork requirements and bureaucratic bungling disenfranchise millions. You're living in it. If the consequences weren't so serious, it would be funny.

An eye-opening, fact-filled companion to the forthcoming PBS documentary starring political satirist and commentator Mo Rocca, Electoral Dysfunction illuminates a broad array of issues, including the Founding Fathers' decision to omit the right to vote from the Constitution and the legal system's patchwork response to this omission; the battle over voter ID, voter impersonation, and voter fraud; the foul-ups that plague Election Day, from ballot design to contested recounts; the role of partisan officials in running elections; and the antidemocratic origins and impact of the Electoral College. The book concludes with a prescription for a healthy voting system by Heather Smith, president of Rock the Vote.

Published in the run-up to the 2012 election, Electoral Dysfunction is for listeners across the political spectrum who want their votes to count.

Editorial Reviews

Alexander Keyssar

Crisply written, irreverent yet engaged. . . . A lively, witty survey of the numerous ailments that afflict the American electoral system.

From the Publisher

Crisply written, irreverent yet engaged. . . . A lively, witty survey of the numerous ailments that afflict the American electoral system.”
—Alexander Keyssar, Stirling Professor of History and Social Policy at Harvard, author of The Right to Vote

“People are dying to vote—but not in the U.S. where only five in 10 exercise the privilege in presidential elections. What's standing in the way? Electoral Dysfunction begins the national conversation we need to have.
—Mark McKinnon, co-founder of No Labels

“This is a well-written, enlightening look at how, when it comes to access to the ballot box and other voter rights, the world's second oldest democracy still has a long way to go.”
— Publishers Weekly

"Delightfully provocative. . . . A well-organized, important tool that will remain useful beyond the present electoral cycle."
— Kirkus Reviews

Kirkus Reviews

A delightfully provocative history and review of voting in America. Conceived as a companion to the PBS series of the same name, this handbook about elections and voting will undoubtedly appeal to both first-time voters and those who participate regularly. Bassetti, a political professional who has worked with various judicial and legislative bodies, provides a history of the struggle to secure and broaden the franchise and an analysis of who votes and why. She outlines the working of the Electoral College, the multilevel patchwork of election administration and the role of political parties. Federal election law, she explains, is at the top of a pyramid encompassing more than 13,000 electoral districts, each of which can be subject to different legal and procedural regimes. The author's initial provocation is that the right to vote was not originally enshrined in the Constitution. Excluded as one of the compromises that ensured adoption, the right to vote entered via the amendment process. Elections, she writes, have been driven since the beginning of the republic by disputes between those who want to broaden enfranchisement and increase turnout, and those who want to suppress the vote. She argues that it is through such political conflicts, as well as the emergence of much broader movements for emancipation, women's suffrage and civil rights, that progress has been made. Bassetti also historically and comparatively discusses election turnouts and the demographic characteristics of those who vote. Vote buying and fraud are presented in a historical context, which emphasizes that restrictive administrative and legal measures have a far greater effect on the vote than individual criminality at the polls. Four appendices provide documentation and access to additional resources. A well-organized, important tool that will remain useful beyond the present electoral cycle.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170719136
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	10/08/2012
Edition description:	Unabridged

Videos