Schofield S Election Law

'Schofield's Election Law' covers elections and referendums of every type in England and Wales. Parliamentary, European parliamentary, local, parish and community, Welsh Assembly, Greater London elections and local referendums - the law and procedures for each are described in detail.

This book contains a critical analysis of the law and politics governing the conduct of statutory elections in the United Kingdom. The author argues that elections have now become a marketplace for 'buying' the most seemingly attractive political party on offer into power, rather than an expression of democratic self-government. Thematically arranged, he considers a number of issues dating from before the Civil War through nineteenth century reforms to the foundation of the Electoral Commission and up to their paper 'Securing the Vote' published in 2005. The book Framing the debate for the Electoral Administration Bill 2005, it contains, amongst other legal analysis, analyses leading cases, including:Sanders v ChichesterR v JonesR v Whicher; ex parte MainwaringIn re Fermanagh and South Tyrone. The author presents an argument for a radical reappraisal of election law which involves, rather than excludes the self-governing citizenry, suggesting that election law, perhaps above all other kinds of law, should be the subject of vigorous and open public debate.

This excellent new book provides a comprehensive account of the British system of parliamentary elections. It contains a description of the current structure and operation of the electoral system, and pays special attention to those subjects which have given rise to political concern or controversy in recent years. There is extensive analysis and commentary upon the different proposals for reform which are currently in debate, and the author puts forward his own conclusions on how the electoral system should be developed in the years ahead to modernise and improve the quality of representative democracy in Britain.

American democracy is in deep crisis. But what do we do about it? That depends on how we understand the current threat.In Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop, Lee Drutman argues that we now have, for the first time in American history, a genuine two-party system, with two fully-sorted, truly national parties, divided over the character of the nation. And it's a disaster. It's a party system fundamentally at odds withour anti-majoritarian, compromise-oriented governing institutions. It threatens the very foundations of fairness and shared values on which our democracy depends.Deftly weaving together history, democratic theory, and cutting-edge political science research, Drutman tells the story of how American politics became so toxic and why the country is now trapped in a doom loop of escalating two-party warfare from which there is only one escape: increase the numberof parties through electoral reform. As he shows, American politics was once stable because the two parties held within them multiple factions, which made it possible to assemble flexible majorities and kept the climate of political combat from overheating. But as conservative Southern Democrats andliberal Northeastern Republicans disappeared, partisan conflict flattened and pulled apart. Once the parties became fully nationalized - a long-germinating process that culminated in 2010 - toxic partisanship took over completely. With the two parties divided over competing visions of nationalidentity, Democrats and Republicans no longer see each other as opponents, but as enemies. And the more the conflict escalates, the shakier our democracy feels.Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop makes a compelling case for large scale electoral reform - importantly, reform not requiring a constitutional amendment - that would give America more parties, making American democracy more representative, more responsive, and ultimately more stable.