
Every Vote Counts
The Role of Elections in Building Democracy
University Press of America
Published on 23. February 2007
Book
Paperback/Softback
180 pages
978-0-7618-3676-6 (ISBN)
Description
Every Vote Counts starts from the premise that free and fair elections are the foundation upon which democracy is built. Given this fact, the study explores the role of foreign electoral assistance in helping to spread democracy around the globe during the past two decades. Among other issues, its authors examine: (1) the challenges of organizing elections in two of the most demanding environments of recent years (Iraq and Afghanistan); (2) the effect of African popular opinion about the quality of elections on citizens' trust in their political institutions; (3) how Ukrainians have chosen legal and electoral means to resolve disputes rather than open conflict; (4) Indonesia's growing understanding of democracy, which has resulted in increased participation; and (5) electoral assistance as a critical component of American public diplomacy and efforts to reach out to the rest of the world.
Each chapter of Every Vote Counts documents the experiences of democracy professionals, who often use case studies to describe what worked-and what didn't-on the ground, instead of relying on mere conjectures. Above all, these experts underscore the importance of providing democratic assistance long enough for local officials to acquire the expertise and confidence they need to manage elections on their own.
Each chapter of Every Vote Counts documents the experiences of democracy professionals, who often use case studies to describe what worked-and what didn't-on the ground, instead of relying on mere conjectures. Above all, these experts underscore the importance of providing democratic assistance long enough for local officials to acquire the expertise and confidence they need to manage elections on their own.
Reviews / Votes
The impressive roster of election assistance experts and political scientists assembled for this project addresses these issues by defining international electoral assistance and investigating its role in promoting democracy, as well as by providing case studies of elections held in Afghanistan, Indonesia, Iraq, and Ukraine. Overall, this volume provides an excellent introduction to the study of the interaction between electoral assistance and democratization, as well as a set of case studies that illustrate the often overlooked technical details and difficulties of conducting elections in transitional situations. -- Evan Smith, Georgetown University * Democracy and Society * Every Vote Counts carries an underlying message that democracy is attainable on every continent and can help make the world a more peaceful and humane place... Read this book, reflect on it, learn from it, and use it as you go forward to help return the power to determine a nation's future to its own people. -- Lech Walesa, "A superb lesson of humanity and patriotism."More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Lanham, MD
United States
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 10 mm
Weight
273 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7618-3676-6 (9780761836766)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Edited by Richard W. Soudriette and Juliana Geran Pilon, Ph. D. Richard W. Soudriette is President of IFES (established as the International Foundation for Election Systems in 1987). Prior to joining IFES in 1988, Mr. Soudriette served as Chief of Staff for U.S. Congressman James M. Inhofe (R-OK), Country Director of the U.S. Peace Corps in Paraguay and the Dominican Republic, and Chief of Staff for the mayor of Tulsa, OK. Dr. Pilon, former IFES Vice President of Programs, teaches politics and culture at the Institute of World Politics. She has written several books, including Why America is Such a Hard Sell: Beyond Pride and Prejudice (2007).
Content
Part 1 List of Figures
Part 2 List of Tables
Part 3 Foreword
Part 4 Acknowledgements & Dedication
Chapter 5 Introduction: Why Election Assistance?
Chapter 6 What is Entailed in Technical Electoral Assistance
Chapter 7 The Paradoxes of Elections and Transitions: When is a Nation Ready for Elections?
Chapter 8 What Consitutes a Successful Election? The Case of Afghanistan's National Assembly and Provincial Council Elections
Chapter 9 How Africans View Elections
Chapter 10 People Power Before, During, and After Elections: The Indonesian Experience
Chapter 11 Elections and Political Transition in Iraq: Transparency and Participation as Building Blocks of Public Confidence in Conflictive Electoral Environments
Chapter 12 Averting Civil Conflicts Through Elections in Ukraine
Chapter 13 By the People, for the People: Democratic Elections as Public Diplomacy
Chapter 14 Conclusion
Part 15 Glossary
Part 16 Index
Part 17 About the Contributors
Part 2 List of Tables
Part 3 Foreword
Part 4 Acknowledgements & Dedication
Chapter 5 Introduction: Why Election Assistance?
Chapter 6 What is Entailed in Technical Electoral Assistance
Chapter 7 The Paradoxes of Elections and Transitions: When is a Nation Ready for Elections?
Chapter 8 What Consitutes a Successful Election? The Case of Afghanistan's National Assembly and Provincial Council Elections
Chapter 9 How Africans View Elections
Chapter 10 People Power Before, During, and After Elections: The Indonesian Experience
Chapter 11 Elections and Political Transition in Iraq: Transparency and Participation as Building Blocks of Public Confidence in Conflictive Electoral Environments
Chapter 12 Averting Civil Conflicts Through Elections in Ukraine
Chapter 13 By the People, for the People: Democratic Elections as Public Diplomacy
Chapter 14 Conclusion
Part 15 Glossary
Part 16 Index
Part 17 About the Contributors