Calling for increased civic engagement, this book makes a compelling case for reforms that will democratize American elections and provide more power to the people.Quick-fix plans to "restore democracy" are a dime a dozen. Happily, Reforming the Electoral Process in America: Toward More Democracy in the 21st Century offers a more nuanced approach, emphasizing the value of civic engagement in a democratic society.Author Brian L. Fife situates our current plight in the context of the growth of democracy, from the Founding Fathers through the Jackson era, the enfranchisement of blacks after the Civil War, women's suffrage, and the Voting Rights Act of the 1960s. He reflects on the work of the Framers as it pertains to voting and elections, compares voting laws and voter turnout in the various states, and offers an analysis of the impact of money in American elections. Ultimately, Fife proposes a blueprint for reform that includes national same-day voter registration, elimination of punch card and mechanical voting machines, reconsideration of felons' voting rights, regional primaries, and the abolition of the Electoral College.

TablesAcknowledgments1. History of Electoral Reform Efforts in AmericaArticles of Confederation and Perpetual UnionPhiladelphia ConventionEarly Reform MeasuresPassage of the Fifteenth AmendmentPassage of the Nineteenth AmendmentOther Progressive Era Electoral Changes, 1890-1920The Poll Tax in the United StatesThe Voting Rights Act of 1965The Twenty-Sixth AmendmentNational Voter Registration Act of 1993Help America Vote Act of 2002Summary2. Voting Laws in the American StatesElection Laws in the StatesFederalism and Political CultureSummary3. Voter Turnout in the American StatesMeasuring Concepts in the Social SciencesMeasuring Voter Turnout in a Reasonable and Functional MannerNational Voter Turnout in U.S. Presidential ElectionsNational Voter Turnout in U.S. Midterm ElectionsVoter Turnout in the Free WorldSummary4. The Electoral College and the Framers in PhiladelphiaArticle II of the U.S. ConstitutionThe Twelfth AmendmentThe Debate About Presidential Selection at the Philadelphia ConventionSummary5. Money and Elections in AmericaMoney in Presidential ElectionsMoney in Congressional ElectionsHistory of Campaign Finance Reform in the United StatesSummary6. The Path to Enhanced Democracy: A Blueprint for Electoral Reform in the United StatesThe Importance of Theory in American Politics and PolicyThe Importance of Studying History in American Politics and PolicyAmending the Federal ConstitutionA Word About the Original Intent DebateThe Constitution as a "Living Document"-The Notion of Active LibertyActive Liberty in PracticeThe Importance of Constitutional InterpretationA Blueprint for Electoral ReformA Final WordNotesBibliographyIndex