The Right to Vote
Rights and Liberties under the Law
Published on 1. October 2004
Book
Hardback
453 pages
978-1-85109-648-0 (ISBN)
Description
From its roots in early English rules to its practice today, this work covers the evolution, expansion, and ongoing debates regarding "the first liberty" in America.
The Right to Vote: Rights and Liberties under the Law tracks the expansion of the franchise in America from colonial times to the present. Opening with a case study establishing the importance of access to the ballot, the main emphasis shifts to pivotal points in American history including the hard-fought struggles for women's suffrage and racial equality.
A chapter on 21st-century voting rights addresses the most unsettled issue we face today-the use of majority-minority districts to enhance the political influence of African Americans and Latinos. A parting look at free and fair elections and the 2000 presidential election debacle shows how votes not counted or improperly credited can make a mockery of the democratic process.
Two maps help illustrate the representation problem of majority-minority districts
Excerpts from key Supreme Court decisions on voting rights and representation
The Right to Vote: Rights and Liberties under the Law tracks the expansion of the franchise in America from colonial times to the present. Opening with a case study establishing the importance of access to the ballot, the main emphasis shifts to pivotal points in American history including the hard-fought struggles for women's suffrage and racial equality.
A chapter on 21st-century voting rights addresses the most unsettled issue we face today-the use of majority-minority districts to enhance the political influence of African Americans and Latinos. A parting look at free and fair elections and the 2000 presidential election debacle shows how votes not counted or improperly credited can make a mockery of the democratic process.
Two maps help illustrate the representation problem of majority-minority districts
Excerpts from key Supreme Court decisions on voting rights and representation
Reviews / Votes
"The prose is quite readable; the book is well organized; and the argument benefits from the author's grasp of both the doctrinal implications of various cases and the significance of political institutions, interests, and ideas. In sum, the book is a great resource. In both its narrative component and in its compendium-quality, it accomplishes the task of addressing a complicated set of issues while remaining accessible to readers of general interest and college students of all ages and levels of sophistication." - The Law and Politics Book Review "The author provides well-written comprehensive historical coverage of the expansion of the American suffrage ... The use of parenthetical documentation and a thorough Annotated Bibliography provide good research role models for students ... Title and series are highly recommended." - Pennsylvania State Library AssociationMore details
Series
Edition
Library edition
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
ISBN-13
978-1-85109-648-0 (9781851096480)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Donald Grier Stephenson, Jr. is Charles A. Dana Professor of Government at Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA. His published works include ABC-CLIO's The Waite Court: Justices, Rulings, and Legacy.