Candidates Congress And The American Democracy

DIVDiscusses the effect of the process of candidate selection on democracy in the United States /div

Under the Constitution of the United States, those with political ambitions who aspire to serve in the federal government must be at least twenty-five to qualify for membership in the House of Representatives, thirty to run for the Senate, and thirty-five to become president. What is the justification for these age thresholds, and is it time to consider changing them? In this provocative and lively book, John Seery presents the case for a constitutional amendment to lower the age barrier to eighteen, the same age at which citizens become eligible to vote. He divides his argument into three sections. In a historical chapter, he traces the way in which the age qualifications became incorporated in the Constitution in the first place. In a theoretical chapter, he analyzes the normative arguments for office eligibility as a democratic right and liberty. And in a political chapter, he ruminates about the real-world consequences of passing such an amendment and the prospects for its passage. Finally, in a postscript, he argues that younger citizens in particular ought to be exposed to this fundamental issue in civics.

With new and revised chapters throughout, the sixth edition of Campaigns and Elections American Style allows academics and campaign professionals the chance to explain how the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 general election, and 2022 midterm election upended the campaign process and changed the landscape of political campaigns forever. Offering a unique and careful mix of Democrat and Republican, academic and practitioner, and male and female campaign perspectives, this volume scrutinizes national and local-level campaigns. Students, citizens, candidates, and campaign managers learn not only how to win elections but also why it is imperative to do so in a safe and ethical way. Perfect for a variety of courses in American government, this book is especially valuable to schools of campaign management and campaign professionals working at every level from the local to the global. Highlights of the Sixth Edition Covers the 2020 and 2022 elections with an eye to 2024. Examines changes to the campaign process as a result of COVID-19 and puts them in context with campaign traditions over time. Includes a new organization that moves campaign finance up front to emphasize the centrality of fundraising to successful campaigns. Offers more data to inform campaign planning and management, especially related to key topics such as the change in news media coverage, the growth and use of social media, the use of "big data" in campaigns, and changes in field and voting rules and policies.

Prepare to understand contemporary politics as never before! Prepare to see the future of American democracy! A recent study at Princeton University came to a shocking conclusion. Our system has been so corrupted by money and influence peddling, America is no longer a democracy. This manifesto offers a detailed, step-by-step plan for cleaning up the corruption in Washington DC, replacing the current crop of pay-for-play politicians with progressive, independent, minor-party candidates, who will be bound by legal contract when elected, to faithfully serve the interests of the voting public. This is electoral reform so radical that in one master stroke, it puts America on the path to a healthy economy and directly addresses its #1 and #2 challenges: the suicidal march to war and the destructive impact of a historically high level of wealth inequality. Brace yourself for a real game-changer which will redefine politics for the foreseeable future.

A hard-hitting book, this work is a penetrating and provocative look at the American political scene. Succumbing to the pressure of the permanent campaign, King argues that our politicians have become vulnerable. Thus, all major policies and all the major features of our system have fallen profoundly under the sway of this vulnerability.

Presents a collection of essay that provide an examination of the Executive branch in American government, explaining how the Constitution created the executive branch and discusses how the executive interacts with the other two branches of government at the federal and state level.

Competition seems to be an inevitable part of present-day elections in the United States. However, recent publications have debated whether we should encourage or discourage competitive elections. In Competitive Elections and Democracy in America, Heather Evans closely examines the debate over competition in elections and questions whether or not they are beneficial for democracy in the US. Evans clearly lays out the basis of the debate over competition and defines what exactly constitutes a competitive election. She then uses an innovative data set that she assembled to analyze the 2006-2010 congressional elections, testing whether the competitiveness of an election affects citizens’ political knowledge, political interest, and opinions of Congress, their representatives, and the governmental system as a whole. She subsequently evaluates the positive effects that competitive elections have on constituencies, and in turn gives equal weight to the negative effects. An examination of the effects "ugly" campaigns have on voters is also incorporated, relevant to today’s oft-used "mud-slinging" campaign tactics. Evans concludes with a thoughtful and analytical assessment of whether competition is valuable for elections, and how to increase competition if it indeed has merit for political campaigns. Through the book’s analyses, Evans demonstrates that competitive elections do have lasting effects on voters that go beyond just the length of a campaign. Her research reinforces the vital role that political competition plays in modern democracies, and offers a careful evaluation of how and why competitive elections affect citizens in the US.