Chapter 17 -- Voting -- Norton August.pdf
上传人:yy****24 上传时间:2024-09-10 格式:PDF 页数:20 大小:4.4MB 金币:16 举报 版权申诉
预览加载中,请您耐心等待几秒...

Chapter 17 -- Voting -- Norton August.pdf

Chapter17--Voting--NortonAugust.pdf

预览

免费试读已结束,剩余 10 页请下载文档后查看

16 金币

下载此文档

如果您无法下载资料,请参考说明:

1、部分资料下载需要金币,请确保您的账户上有足够的金币

2、已购买过的文档,再次下载不重复扣费

3、资料包下载后请先用软件解压,在使用对应软件打开

Chapter17ElectionsandVotingFinalDraft,August2009Electionsareattheverycoreofdemocracy.Evenifdemocracyisconceivedasinvolvingmuchmorethanelections,andevenifanidealdemocracyincludesimportantformsofdirectparticipationbycitizensinmanyaspectsofpublicdecisions,stillthemostbasicconstraintonoppressivestateauthoritythatwehaveisthefactthatweelectthedecision-makersandcangetridofthemifwedislikewhattheydo.AnyevaluationofdemocracyinAmericamustincludeacarefulexaminationofitselectoralsystemandhowitworks.InthischapterwewillexploretwobroadthemesaboutvotingandelectionsinAmericandemocracy.Thefirstconcernsanimportanttheoreticalpuzzleaboutdemocraticelections:whydopeoplebothervotinginthefirstplace?Giventhatasinglevotealmostneverdecideslargeelections,onthefaceofitvotingmightseemtobeawasteoftime:doingsomethingthathasnopracticaleffects.Answeringthisquestionwillhelpusgetasenseofsomeoftheconditionswhichstrengthenorunderminethevitalityofelectoralpolitics.ThesecondthemeconcernstheproblemofhowdeeplydemocraticareelectionsintheUnitedStates.Inthetransitiontodemocracywithinauthoritarianregimesthecodewords“freeandfairelections”areofteninvokedinassessingdemocraticasocietyreallyis.Therearecountriesthatholdregularelectionsinwhichasinglecandidatereceives99%ofthevote,butwedon’tconsiderthisintheslightestdemocratic.Butwhatpreciselydowemeanby“freeandfair”?Thereareobviouswaysinwhichanelectionmightbeunfair–stuffingtheballotbox,fakingthenumbers,preventingpeoplefromvotingbyintimidationorsimplyexcludingthemfromthevoterlists.Untilthe1960sintheU.S.SouthmostAfrican-Americanswereblockedfromvotingthroughvariousdevices.Themostnotoriouswastheinfamousliteracytestsinwhichpotentialblackvotershadtoshowathoroughknowledgeoftheconstitution(forexample)beforetheycouldberegistered,whereasWhitevotershadmuchlessdemandingtests.This,byanystandard,wasunfair.Fraud,intimidation,andillegalexclusionsareobviouswaysinwhichelectionscanberenderedlessdemocratic.AlthoughthesekindsofprocessesdohappenintheUnitedState