Campaign and Election Reform [Hardcover]

This handbook provides a sweeping overview of U.S. campaign and election reform efforts, past and present, from the introduction of the secret ballot to touch-screen voting.

Emphasizing the major electoral reforms since 2000, this second edition ofCampaign and Election Reforminvestigates the development of the American electoral system from colonial times to the present. It chronicles efforts to expand suffrage, reform campaign financing, and prevent vote fraud, and traces the development of election technology from the paper ballot to the lever voting machine, from the punch-card ballot to the optical-scan and touch-screen systems.

The book also explores alternative voting systems, such as preference voting and proportional representation, and compares the U.S. electoral process with the voting systems of selected European democracies.Campaign and Election Reform, Second Editionis essential reading for any citizen who wants to understand the U.S. electoral system, what's wrong with it, and how it might be fixed.

Glenn H. Utter, PhD, is professor of political science and chair of the Department of Political Science at Lamar University in Beaumont, TX. His published works include ABC-CLIO'sThe Religious Right,Campaign and Election Reform, andConservative Christians and Political Participation.

Ruth Ann Strickland, PhD, is professor of political science at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC.

Campaign and Election Reformexamines the errors and innovations different countries have made, and is highly recommended for anyone who wants to better understand democracy. Midwest Book Review

Campaign and Election Reformoffers a solid overview of the topic with enough detail to be a good source for more extensive research; it is appropriate for a wide audience and recommended for high school, college, public, and special libraries. ARBA