Download or read book Picking the President written by Eric Burin and published by . This book was released on 2017-02 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 2016 presidential election has sparked an unprecedented interest in the Electoral College. In response to Donald Trump winning the presidency despite losing the popular vote, numerous individuals have weighed in with letters-to-the-editor, op-eds, blog posts, videos, and the like, and thanks to the revolution in digital communications, these items have reached an exceptionally wide audience. In short, never before have so many people had so much to say about the Electoral College. To facilitate and expand the conversation, Picking the President: Understanding the Electoral College offers brief essays that examine the Electoral College from different disciplinary perspectives, including philosophy, mathematics, political science, history, and pedagogy. Along the way, the essays address a variety of questions about the Electoral College: Why was it created? How has it changed over time? Who benefits from it? Is it just? How will future demographic patterns affect it? Should we alter or abolish the Electoral College, and if so, what should replace it? In exploring these matters, Picking the President enhances our understanding of one of America's most high-profile, momentous issues.

Download or read book Let the People Pick the President written by Jesse Wegman and published by Macmillan + ORM. This book was released on 2020-03-17 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Wegman combines in-depth historical analysis and insight into contemporary politics to present a cogent argument that the Electoral College violates America’s ‘core democratic principles’ and should be done away with..." —Publishers Weekly The framers of the Constitution battled over it. Lawmakers have tried to amend or abolish it more than 700 times. To this day, millions of voters, and even members of Congress, misunderstand how it works. It deepens our national divide and distorts the core democratic principles of political equality and majority rule. How can we tolerate the Electoral College when every vote does not count the same, and the candidate who gets the most votes can lose? Twice in the last five elections, the Electoral College has overridden the popular vote, calling the integrity of the entire system into question—and creating a false picture of a country divided into bright red and blue blocks when in fact we are purple from coast to coast. Even when the popular-vote winner becomes president, tens of millions of Americans—Republicans and Democrats alike—find that their votes didn't matter. And, with statewide winner-take-all rules, only a handful of battleground states ultimately decide who will become president. Now, as political passions reach a boiling point at the dawn of the 2020 race, the message from the American people is clear: The way we vote for the only official whose job it is to represent all Americans is neither fair nor just. Major reform is needed—now. Isn't it time to let the people pick the president? In this thoroughly researched and engaging call to arms, Supreme Court journalist and New York Times editorial board member Jesse Wegman draws upon the history of the founding era, as well as information gleaned from campaign managers, field directors, and other officials from twenty-first-century Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns, to make a powerful case for abolishing the antiquated and antidemocratic Electoral College. In Let the People Pick the President he shows how we can at long last make every vote in the United States count—and restore belief in our democratic system.

Download or read book Picking the Vice President written by Elaine C. Kamarck and published by Brookings Institution Press. This book was released on 2020-07-07 with total page 37 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How Picking the Vice President Has Changed—and Why It Matters During the past three decades, two important things have changed about the U.S. vice presidency: the rationale for why presidential candidates choose particular running mates, and the role of vice presidents once in office. This is the first major book focusing on both of those elements, and it comes at a crucial moment in American history. Until 1992, presidential candidates tended to select running mates simply to “balance” the ticket, sometimes geographically, sometimes to guarantee victory in an must-carry state, sometimes ideologically, and sometimes for all three reasons. Bill Clinton changed that in 1992 when he selected Al Gore as his running mate, saying the experience and compatibility of the Tennessee senator would make him an ideal “partner” in governing. Gore's two immediate successors, Dick Cheney and Joe Biden, played similar roles under Presidents Bush and Obama. Mike Pence seems to also be following in that role as well, although the first draft of history on the Trump Administration is still being written. What enabled this change in the vice presidency was not so much the personal characteristics of recent vice presidents but instead changes in the presidential nomination system. The increased importance of primaries and the overwhelming need to raise money have diminished the importance of “balance” on the ticket and increased the importance of “partnership”—selecting a partner who can help the president govern. This book appears as Joe Biden prepares to choose his own running mate. No matter who wins the November 2020 elections, what Elaine Kamarck writes will be of interest to anyone following current affairs, students of American government, and journalists whose job will be to cover the next administration.

Download or read book Choosing the Hero written by K. Riva Levinson and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Literary Nonfiction. Memoir. Women's Studies. Politics. African Studies. The rise of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to become the president of Liberia and the first woman elected to lead an African nation is one of the most inspiring stories of our time. But Sirleaf could not have done it alone. Among the people who worked tirelessly to help her achieve her victory was Washington, D.C.-based international consultant and lobbyist K. Riva Levinson. "A wonderful book about the extraordinary camaraderie between Africa's first woman president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and her loyal friend and political ally, Riva Levinson... a must- read for all those interested in... Liberia's recent and turbulent history, and the immense power of friendship and loyalty."—Johnnie Carson, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Affairs "A deeply moving story of two extraordinary women, from very different backgrounds, who worked together through thick and thin and achieved so much... I would highly recommend this book to all."—Joyce Banda, former President of Malawi "A riveting and compelling story that restores one's faith in humanity... a profound lesson to all of us on the vital importance of courage and perseverance to the pursuit of a life of purpose."—Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Nigeria "A deeply personal and thoughtful book on some of the most important foreign policy issues of our time and a great read!"—Lloyd Pierson, former Director, U.S. Peace Corps, former President, African Development Foundation "A compelling set of stories... about how political capital was built by addition, multiplication, patience, and strategy by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Riva Levinson."—William R. Sweeney Jr., President and CEO, International Foundation for Electoral Systems "Riva's story reminds us that often the best, most challenging work comes to us when we least expect it and most need it. Her connection with President Sirleaf helped Liberia turn an important page in its history and further cemented the long existing bond between our countries."—U.S. Senator Chris Coons "Peace and democracy seemed far, far off to Liberians when brutal warlord Charles Taylor ruled. This fast-paced, crisply told story of Liberia's rebirth under Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is inspiring and impressively honest."—U.S. Representative Ed Royce "Riva Levinson gives us a peek behind the curtain of how American foreign policy is formulated and practiced. A thoroughly engaging read from cover to cover."—U.S. Senator Jeff Flake "The inspiring story of two brilliant women who overcame the odds to make positive change in Liberia. A must-read for any aspiring global change maker!"—Dr. Rajesh Panjabi, CEO, Last Mile Health, associate physician, Harvard Medical School, one of Time's 100 Most Influential People, 2016, and one of Fortune's World's 50 Greatest Leaders "A book that reads like Le Carr�, if Le Carr� was a combination of killer politico and Tina Fey... smart, heartbreaking, funny, inspiring, and an unbelievably entertaining read."—Dan Gordon, screenwriter of The Hurricane

Download or read book A CHOICE NOT AN ECHO written by PHYLLIS SCHLAFLY and published by . This book was released on 1964 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Strategic Selection written by Christine L. Nemacheck and published by University of Virginia Press. This book was released on 2007 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The process by which presidents decide whom to nominate to fill Supreme Court vacancies is obviously of far-ranging importance, particularly because the vast majority of nominees are eventually confirmed. But why is one individual selected from among a pool of presumably qualified candidates? In Strategic Selection: Presidential Nomination of Supreme Court Justices from Herbert Hoover through George W. Bush, Christine Nemacheck makes heavy use of presidential papers to reconstruct the politics of nominee selection from Herbert Hoover's appointment of Charles Evan Hughes in 1930 through President George W. Bush's nomination of Samuel Alito in 2005. Bringing to light firsthand evidence of selection politics and of the influence of political actors, such as members of Congress and presidential advisors, from the initial stages of formulating a short list through the president's final selection of a nominee, Nemacheck constructs a theoretical framework that allows her to assess the factors impacting a president's selection process. Much work on Supreme Court nominations focuses on struggles over confirmation, or is heavily based on anecdotal material and posits the "idiosyncratic" nature of the selection process; in contrast, Strategic Selection points to systematic patterns in judicial selection. Nemacheck argues that although presidents try to maximize their ideological preferences and minimize uncertainty about nominees' conduct once they are confirmed, institutional factors that change over time, such as divided government and the institutionalism of the presidency, shape and constrain their choices. By revealing the pattern of strategic action, which she argues is visible from the earliest stages of the selection process, Nemacheck takes us a long way toward understanding this critically important part of our political system.

Download or read book Choosing a College President written by Judith Block McLaughlin and published by Jossey-Bass. This book was released on 1990 with total page 422 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the search and selection process for college and university presidents in its variety and intricacy. Chapter I examines the question of the importance of presidents and searches. Chapter II describes the process of presidential succession at a private liberal arts college. Chapter III discusses the tasks required at the start of the search. Chapter IV illustrates the importance of confidentiality by presenting, in disguised form, the search process for a president of a flagship state university. In Chapter V the authors discuss conflicts over privacy and publicity in the search process and in American society generally. Chapter VI presents an account of the 1983 search at the University of Florida in the glare of Florida's open meeting and open records laws. Chapter VII examines the significance of disclosure laws. Chapter VIII describes the Winthrop College (South Carolina) search conducted with the help of a consultant. The following chapter goes on to explore the implications of consultants in search processes. Chapter X describes the Rice University (Texas) search process and illuminates the ways in which members of a search committee can court a candidate. Chapter XI examines the two-way process in which candidate and institution must each choose and be chosen. Over 250 references and an index are included. (JB)

Download or read book Choosing Presidents written by Michael Novak and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-07-28 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Choosing Presidents, Novak uses the election of an American president as a means to dissect the symbols of our national life and politics, exposing many as distorted perceptions of American realities. This work is a guide to the complexities of electoral politics and a lasting contribution to our understanding of the presidency.The author is Michael Novak.

Download or read book The People s Choice written by Paul Felix Lazarsfeld and published by . This book was released on 1952 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Election Book written by Carolyn Jackson and published by Scholastic Paperbacks. This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Find out the answers to all your questions about the presidential election race.

Download or read book Choosing Homes Choosing Schools written by Annette Lareau and published by Russell Sage Foundation. This book was released on 2014-03-31 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A series of policy shifts over the past decade promises to change how Americans decide where to send their children to school. In theory, the boom in standardized test scores and charter schools will allow parents to evaluate their assigned neighborhood school, or move in search of a better option. But what kind of data do parents actually use while choosing schools? Are there differences among suburban and urban families? How do parents’ choices influence school and residential segregation in America? Choosing Homes, Choosing Schools presents a breakthrough analysis of the new era of school choice, and what it portends for American neighborhoods. The distinguished contributors to Choosing Homes, Choosing Schools investigate the complex relationship between education, neighborhood social networks, and larger patterns of inequality. Paul Jargowsky reviews recent trends in segregation by race and class. His analysis shows that segregation between blacks and whites has declined since 1970, but remains extremely high. Moreover, white families with children are less likely than childless whites to live in neighborhoods with more minority residents. In her chapter, Annette Lareau draws on interviews with parents in three suburban neighborhoods to analyze school-choice decisions. Surprisingly, she finds that middle- and upper-class parents do not rely on active research, such as school tours or test scores. Instead, most simply trust advice from friends and other people in their network. Their decision-making process was largely informal and passive. Eliot Weinginer complements this research when he draws from his data on urban parents. He finds that these families worry endlessly about the selection of a school, and that parents of all backgrounds actively consider alternatives, including charter schools. Middle- and upper-class parents relied more on federally mandated report cards, district websites, and online forums, while working-class parents use network contacts to gain information on school quality. Little previous research has explored what role school concerns play in the preferences of white and minority parents for particular neighborhoods. Featuring innovative work from more than a dozen scholars, Choosing Homes, Choosing Schools adroitly addresses this gap and provides a firmer understanding of how Americans choose where to live and send their children to school.

Download or read book The Mass Media Election written by Thomas E. Patterson and published by Greenwood. This book was released on 1980 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A detailed study of presidential election news coverage and its effect on voters focuses on the news audience and the images of candidates.

Download or read book No Way to Pick a President written by Jules Witcover and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 2001 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: First Published in 2001. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Download or read book Presidents with Prime Ministers written by Margit Tavits and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2009 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is about presidents in parliamentary systems. One commonly recurring political debate within parliamentary systems is over whether or not the public should directly elect the head of state. Despite the importance of this topic in practical politics, political scientists have offered little empirical evidence, yet made bold assumptions about the consequences of popular elections for heads of state. A common argument is that direct elections enhance presidents' legitimacythereby increasing their activism and encouraging authoritarian tendencies. Another popular assumption is that direct presidential elections are more heavily contested and partisan, polarizing and dividing political elites and the electorate. Proponents of direct elections argue that such electionswill help decrease voter alienation and apathy. This book challenges the conventional wisdom. Using both quantitative and qualitative empirical evidence from democratic systems across the world, this book demonstrates that compared to indirect selection methods, direct elections do not yield more active and contentious presidents, do not polarize political elites or society, and do not remedy political apathy. Rather, presidential activism in both "semi-presidential" and "pure parliamentary"systems is shaped by political opportunity framework - the institutional strength and partisan composition of both parliament and government. Further, because holding the presidency provides parties with an electoral asset, direct and indirect presidential elections can be equally contentious andpolarizing. Last, but not least, rather than decreasing apathy, direct election is associated with increased voter fatigue and decreased turnout in parliamentary elections by about seven percentage points.

Download or read book A Time for Choosing written by Ronald Reagan and published by . This book was released on 1983 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Party Decides written by Marty Cohen and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2009-05-15 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Throughout the contest for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, politicians and voters alike worried that the outcome might depend on the preferences of unelected superdelegates. This concern threw into relief the prevailing notion that—such unusually competitive cases notwithstanding—people, rather than parties, should and do control presidential nominations. But for the past several decades, The Party Decides shows, unelected insiders in both major parties have effectively selected candidates long before citizens reached the ballot box. Tracing the evolution of presidential nominations since the 1790s, this volume demonstrates how party insiders have sought since America’s founding to control nominations as a means of getting what they want from government. Contrary to the common view that the party reforms of the 1970s gave voters more power, the authors contend that the most consequential contests remain the candidates’ fights for prominent endorsements and the support of various interest groups and state party leaders. These invisible primaries produce frontrunners long before most voters start paying attention, profoundly influencing final election outcomes and investing parties with far more nominating power than is generally recognized.

Download or read book Do Running Mates Matter written by Christopher J. Devine and published by University Press of Kansas. This book was released on 2020-05-15 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The American vice presidency, as the saying goes, “is not worth a bucket of warm spit.” Yet vice presidential candidates, many people believe, can make all the difference in winning—or losing—a presidential election. Is that true, though? Did Sarah Palin, for example, sink John McCain’s campaign in 2008? Did Joe Biden help Barack Obama win? Do running mates actually matter? In the first book to put this question to a rigorous test, Christopher J. Devine and Kyle C. Kopko draw upon an unprecedented range of empirical data to reveal how, and how much, running mates influence voting in presidential elections. Building on their previous work in The VP Advantage and evidence from over 200 statistical models spanning the 1952 to 2016 presidential elections, the authors analyze three pathways by which running mates might influence vote choice. First, of course, they test for direct effects, or whether evaluations of the running mate influence vote choice among voters in general. Next, they test for targeted effects—if, that is, running mates win votes among key subsets of voters who share their gender, religion, ideology, or geographic identity. Finally, the authors examine indirect effects—that is, whether running mates shape perceptions of the presidential candidate who selected them, which in turn influence vote choice. Here, in this last category, is where we see running mates most clearly influencing presidential voting—especially when it comes to their qualifications for holding office and taking over as president, if necessary. Picking a running mate from a key voting bloc probably won’t make a difference, the authors conclude. But picking an experienced, well-qualified running mate will make the presidential candidate look better to voters—and win some votes. With its wealth of data and expert analysis, this finely crafted study, the most comprehensive to date, finally provides clear answers to one of the most enduring questions in presidential politics: can the running mate make a difference in this election?