Download or read book Real Democracy written by Frank M. Bryan and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2010-03-15 with total page 333 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Relying on an astounding collection of more than three decades of firsthand research, Frank M. Bryan examines one of the purest forms of American democracy, the New England town meeting. At these meetings, usually held once a year, all eligible citizens of the town may become legislators; they meet in face-to-face assemblies, debate the issues on the agenda, and vote on them. And although these meetings are natural laboratories for democracy, very few scholars have systematically investigated them. A nationally recognized expert on this topic, Bryan has now done just that. Studying 1,500 town meetings in his home state of Vermont, he and his students recorded a staggering amount of data about them—238,603 acts of participation by 63,140 citizens in 210 different towns. Drawing on this evidence as well as on evocative "witness" accounts—from casual observers to no lesser a light than Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn—Bryan paints a vivid picture of how real democracy works. Among the many fascinating questions he explores: why attendance varies sharply with town size, how citizens resolve conflicts in open forums, and how men and women behave differently in town meetings. In the end, Bryan interprets this brand of local government to find evidence for its considerable staying power as the most authentic and meaningful form of direct democracy. Giving us a rare glimpse into how democracy works in the real world, Bryan presents here an unorthodox and definitive book on this most cherished of American institutions.
Download or read book The New England Town Meeting written by Joseph F. Zimmerman and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 1999-03-30 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this groundbreaking study, Zimmerman explores the town meeting form of government in all New England states. This comprehensive work relies heavily upon surveys of town officers and citizens, interviews, and mastery of the scattered writing on the subject. Zimmerman finds that the stereotypes of the New England open town meeting advanced by its critics are a serious distortion of reality. He shows that voter superintendence of town affairs has proven to be effective, and there is no empirical evidence that thousands of small towns and cities with elected councils are governed better. Whereas the relatively small voter attendance suggests that interest groups can control town meetings, their influence has been offset effectively by the development of town advisory committees, particularly the finance committee and the planning board, which are effective counterbalances to pressure groups. Zimmerman provides a new conception of town meeting democracy, positing that the meeting is a de facto representative legislative body with two safety valves—open access to all voters and the initiative to add articles to the warrant, and the calling of special meetings to reconsider decisions made at the preceding town meeting. And, as Zimmerman points out, a third safety valve—the protest referendum—can be adopted by a town meeting.
Download or read book Town Hall Meetings and the Death of Deliberation written by Jonathan Beecher Field and published by U of Minnesota Press. This book was released on 2019-09-17 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tracing the erosion of democratic norms in the US and the conditions that make it possible Jonathan Beecher Field tracks the permutations of the town hall meeting from its original context as a form of democratic community governance in New England into a format for presidential debates and a staple of corporate governance. In its contemporary iteration, the town hall meeting models the aesthetic of the former but replaces actual democratic deliberation with a spectacle that involves no immediate electoral stakes or functions as a glorified press conference. Urgently, Field notes that though this evolution might be apparent, evidence suggests many US citizens don’t care to differentiate. Forerunners: Ideas First Short books of thought-in-process scholarship, where intense analysis, questioning, and speculation take the lead
Download or read book Democratic Innovations written by Graham Smith and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2009-07-02 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines democratic innovations from around the world, drawing lessons for the future development of both democratic theory and practice.
Download or read book The People of Sparks written by Jeanne DuPrau and published by Random House Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 2004-06-22 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A modern-day classic. This highly acclaimed adventure series about two friends desperate to save their doomed city has captivated kids and teachers alike for almost fifteen years and has sold over 3.5 MILLION copies! Lina and Doon have led the citizens of Ember to an exciting new world. When they discover a village called Sparks, they are welcomed, fed, and given places to sleep. But the town’s resources are limited and it isn’t long before resentment begins to grow between the two groups. When mysterious acts of vandalism cause tempers to erupt, putting everyone’s lives in danger, it’s up to our two heroes to find the courage to stop the conflict and bring peace. Praise for the City of Ember books: Nominated to 28 State Award Lists! An American Library Association Notable Children’s Book A New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing Selection A Kirkus Reviews Editors’ Choice A Child Magazine Best Children’s Book A Mark Twain Award Winner A William Allen White Children’s Book Award Winner “A realistic post-apocalyptic world. DuPrau’s book leaves Doon and Lina on the verge of undiscovered country and readers wanting more.” —USA Today “An electric debut.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred “While Ember is colorless and dark, the book itself is rich with description.” —VOYA, Starred
Download or read book The Hidden History of the War on Voting written by Thom Hartmann and published by Berrett-Koehler Publishers. This book was released on 2020-02-04 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Hartmann's history of voter suppression in America is necessary information given current news about voter registration purges and redistricting...a particularly timely topic for an election year, and anyone who is seriously concerned about the survival of American democracy will want to read this book and apply its lessons."—Booklist America's #1 progressive radio host looks at how elites have long tried to disenfranchise citizens—particularly people of color, women, and the poor—and shows what we can do to ensure everyone has a voice in this democracy. In today's America, only a slim majority of people register to vote, and a large percentage of registered voters don't bother to show up: Donald Trump was elected by only 26 percent of eligible voters. Unfortunately, this is not a bug in our system, it's a feature. Thom Hartmann unveils the strategies and tactics that conservative elites in this country have used, from the foundation of the Electoral College to the latest voter ID laws, to protect their interests by preventing “the wrong people”—such as the poor, women, and people of color—from voting while making it more convenient for the wealthy and white. But he also lays out a wide variety of simple, commonsense ways that we the people can fight back and reclaim our right to rule through the ballot box.
Download or read book It s Even Worse Than You Think written by David Cay Johnston and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2018-01-16 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From David Cay Johnston, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of the bestselling The Making of Donald Trump, comes his New York Times bestseller about how the Trump Administration’s policies will affect our jobs, savings, taxes, and safety—completed revised and updated. New York Times bestselling author and longtime Trump observer David Cay Johnston shines a light on the political termites who have infested our government under the Trump administration, destroying it from within and compromising our jobs, safety, finances, and more. In It’s Even Worse Than You Think, Johnston exposes shocking details about the Mexican border wall, and how American consumers will end up paying for it, if it ever gets built; climate change, and all about Scott Pruitt who spent much of his career trying to destroy the agency he now heads; stocking—not draining—the swamp, despite his promise to do the opposite, Trump has filled his cabinet with millionaires and billionaires; and the Kleptocracy, where Donald Jr. and Eric run an eyes-wide-open blind trust of Trump holdings to avoid the appearance of conflict of interest—but not the reality. With story after story, It’s Even Worse Than You Think "diagnoses the Trump administration as a…government by the least qualified and most venal among us” (The Washington Post). This is “a momentously thorough account of President Trump’s alarmingly chaotic first year in office…a precise and fiery indictment of an unstable, unethical president that concludes with a call for us to defend our democracy” (Booklist) and is “urgent, necessary reading” (Kirkus Reviews).
Download or read book Democracy in One Book or Less written by David Litt and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2020-06-16 with total page 473 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New York Times–Bestselling Author: “Brings Dave Barry-style humor to an illuminating book on what is wrong with American democracy—and how to put it right.” —The Washington Post The democracy you live in today is different—completely different—from the democracy you were born into. You probably don't realize just how radically your republic has been altered during your lifetime. Yet more than any policy issue, political trend, or even Donald Trump himself, our redesigned system of government is responsible for the peril America faces today. What explains the gap between what We, the People want and what our elected leaders do? How can we fix our politics before it's too late? And how can we truly understand the state of our democracy without wanting to crawl under a rock? That’s what former Obama speechwriter David Litt set out to answer. Poking into forgotten corners of history, translating political science into plain English, and traveling the country to meet experts and activists, Litt explains how the world’s greatest experiment in democracy went awry. (He also tries to crash a party at Mitch McConnell’s former frat house. It goes poorly.) The result is something you might not have thought possible: an unexpectedly funny page-turner about the political process. You’ll meet the Supreme Court justice charged with murder, learn how James Madison’s college roommate broke the Senate, encounter a citrus thief who embodies what’s wrong with our elections, and join Belle the bill as she tries to become a law (a quest far more harrowing than the one in Schoolhouse Rock!). Yet despite his clear-eyed assessment of the dangers we face, Litt remains audaciously optimistic. He offers a to-do list of bold yet achievable changes—a blueprint for restoring the balance of power in America. “In the book’s strongest contribution, Litt shows how radically our democracy has been altered in recent decades . . . [making] the case that nearly all of these negative trends are occurring by design.” —The Washington Post “Wry, quickly readable, yet informed.” —The Atlantic “Equal parts how-to, historical, and hilarious.” —Keegan-Michael Key
Download or read book Connecticut Town Meeting Records During the American Revolution written by Jolene Roberts Mullen and published by . This book was released on 2011-01-01 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Robert s Rules of Order Newly Revised 12th edition written by Henry M. Robert III and published by PublicAffairs. This book was released on 2020-08-25 with total page 848 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The only current authorized edition of the classic work on parliamentary procedure--now in a new updated edition Robert's Rules of Order is the recognized guide to smooth, orderly, and fairly conducted meetings. This 12th edition is the only current manual to have been maintained and updated since 1876 under the continuing program established by General Henry M. Robert himself. As indispensable now as the original edition was more than a century ago, Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised is the acknowledged "gold standard" for meeting rules. New and enhanced features of this edition include: Section-based paragraph numbering to facilitate cross-references and e-book compatibility Expanded appendix of charts, tables, and lists Helpful summary explanations about postponing a motion, reconsidering a vote, making and enforcing points of order and appeals, and newly expanded procedures for filling blanks New provisions regarding debate on nominations, reopening nominations, and completing an election after its scheduled time Dozens more clarifications, additions, and refinements to improve the presentation of existing rules, incorporate new interpretations, and address common inquiries Coinciding with publication of the 12th edition, the authors of this manual have once again published an updated (3rd) edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised In Brief, a simple and concise introductory guide cross-referenced to it.
Download or read book Suggested Rules of Procedure for a City Council written by Trey Allen and published by Local Government Board Builder. This book was released on 2017-05-24 with total page 84 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Now in its fourth edition, this book provides city councils with model procedural rules for their meetings. The model rules cover, among many other topics, the organizational meeting, pertinent requirements of the open meetings law, the role of the presiding officer, agenda preparation and approval, substantive and procedural motions, voting rules, ordinance adoption, public hearings, and public comment periods. Legal and practical issues are analyzed in the comments that follow each rule. The fourth edition differs from prior editions in important ways. It incorporates significant statutory changes that have occurred since a revised version of the third edition was published in 2007. Both the rules themselves and the comments have undergone extensive modifications in an effort to make the book even more useful to municipal governing boards. New appendixes include tables showing the numbers of members necessary to establish a quorum and the number of votes required to adopt an ordinance or approve a contract. This book is a must for council members, city managers and administrators, city clerks, and city attorneys. Anyone with a general interest in local government or parliamentary procedure will also want a copy. BONUS FEATURE: Upon purchasing this book, the buyer will receive an electronic version of the book's procedural rules that can be customized to fit a particular council's specific needs. See the Local Government Board Builders Series webpage for other books in the series and related School of Government publications (https: //www.sog.unc.edu/resource-series/local-government-board-builders-series-0).
Download or read book Murder at Town Meeting written by Wesley Blauss and published by Bookbaby. This book was released on 2021-10 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Race. Real estate. A long forgotten burial account. When several town officials and an endangered amphibian meet untimely ends at the hands of "America's purest form of democracy," four teens, two white, two Cape Verdean, confront prejudice, privilege, and each other in an effort to conceal evidence that could incriminate a friend.
Download or read book The Catholic Question Report of the Great Town s Meeting Held in the Town Hall Birmingham on Wednesday December 11 1850 Printed from the Notes of a Short hand Writer Etc written by Town Hall (Birmingham, England) and published by . This book was released on 1850 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book To the public At the town meeting held in Shrewsbury in November 1831 I was arrested on a writ A Eaton of Boston against myself etc On a question of debt written by A. R. PHELPS and published by . This book was released on 1832 with total page 8 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book A Full Report of the Great Protestant Meeting at the Town Hall Birmingham November 18 1835 containging the speeches of the Rev R M Ghee and the Rev M O Sullivan written by Town Hall (Birmingham, England). and published by . This book was released on 1835 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Town Council Meeting written by J.R. Roberts and published by Speaking Volumes. This book was released on with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: DEAD DRAW Having a big reputation with a gun has its perks, but it also makes Clint Adams the prime suspect when Big Ed Kennedy—owner of the Bar K Ranch—turns up shot in Cannon City, Wyoming. When Big Ed's men ride into town looking for blood, Clint just happens to be in the saloon playing poker with a lawyer, the judge, and the mayor. Now the poker game has turned into a town council meeting, with twenty angry ranch hands waiting outside for a verdict. As the town sheriff keeps the ranchers from storming the place, it's up to Clint to figure out who killed Big Ed. But with no one to back him up and no way to escape, it just might be the Gunsmith's last hand...
Download or read book Report of the Committee of the Sheffield Town Council appointed to take into consideration the fourth report 1865 of the Children s Employment Commission Adopted by the Council 1866 Feb 14th written by Town Council (SHEFFIELD) and published by . This book was released on 1866 with total page 50 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
