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Despite howls for reform, the only thing separating us from another election disaster of the kind that hit Florida in 2000, and that almost struck again in Ohio in 2004, may simply be another close vote. In this lucid and lively book, Heather Gerken diagnoses what is wrong with our elections and proposes a radically new and simple solution: a Democracy Index that would rate the performance of state and local election systems. A rough equivalent to the U.S. News and World Report ranking of colleges and universities, the Index would focus on problems that matter to all voters: How long does it t.

In response to the sunset of article 5 of the Voting Rights Act, feels congress should take the middle way in the debate by adopting an opt-in strategy that would provide effective incentives towards maintaining the betterment of minority voting rights while also more optimally utilizing the economic enforcement resource. Begins with the major focus, as to whether or not minorities are able to protect themselves politically, a question that has been answered in part by the past success of the act, yet is in contention now due, amongst other reasons, to problematic voting areas not covered by the act, such as Ohio & non-covered jurisdictions within Florida. Another aspect contributing to such contention is that those most knowledgeable of the act are at such odds within their own ranks, & so the answer has not crystallized. Moving on, introduces the parameters of the opt-in strategy, which will be a bottom-up mechanism that may even answer some of the constitutional questions which have plagued the debate, & answers whether or not the approach will be sustainable & effective, & why, contending that beyond achieving the expected results, may epiphenomenally also create new inroads into a long-needed bolstering of community involvement. Appendixes, References. J. Fullmer

Despite howls for reform, the only thing separating us from another election disaster of the kind that hit Florida in 2000, and that almost struck again in Ohio in 2004, may simply be another close vote. In this lucid and lively book, Heather Gerken diagnoses what is wrong with our elections and proposes a radically new and simple solution: a Democracy Index that would rate the performance of state and local election systems. A rough equivalent to the U.S. News and World Report ranking of colleges and universities, the Index would focus on problems that matter to all voters: How long does it

This Essay addresses a gap in the federalism literature. Scholars have offered two distinct visions of federal-state relations. The first depicts states as rivals and challengers to the federal government, roles they play by virtue of being autonomous policymakers outside the federal system. A second vision is offered by scholars of cooperative federalism, who argue that in most areas states serve not as autonomous outsiders, but supportive insiders – servants and allies carrying out federal policy. Legal scholarship has not connected these competing visions to consider how the state's status as servant, insider, and ally might enable it to be a sometime dissenter, rival, and challenger. The literature has not developed a vocabulary for describing how states use regulatory power conferred by the government to resist federal policy, let alone a full account of the implications of this practice. It has thus neglected the possibilities associated with what we call "uncooperative federalism." In this Essay, we provide an initial descriptive and normative account of this undertheorized aspect of our federalism. We also explore what a strong commitment to uncooperative federalism would mean for the doctrines on commandeering and preemption, offering some counterintuitive conclusions about the ways in which weakening the protections for state autonomy might push states to engage in stronger forms of dissent.

"This book offers a critical reevaluation of three fundamental and interlocking themes in American democracy: the relationship between race and politics, the performance and reform of election systems, and the role of courts in regulating the political process. This edited volume features contributions from some of the leading voices in election law and social science. The authors address the recurring questions for American democracy and identify new challenges for the twenty-first century. They not only consider where current policy and scholarship is headed, but also suggest where it ought to go over the next two decades. The book thus provides intellectual guideposts for future scholarship and policy making in American democracy"--Provided by publisher