State Voting Laws in America Historical Statutes and Their Modern Implications [Hardcover]

State Voting Laws in America documents changing views on voting rights, emphasizing court rulings which shaped our understanding of what constitutes a legitimate right to vote.Table of Contents 1. Introduction PART I: SOWING THE SEEDS 2. The Limited Definition of Citizenship 3. Abolition and the Right to Self-Determination PART II: CIVIL WAR, RECONSTRUCTION, AND RETRENCHMENT 4. The 1876 Election and the Minor Ruling: Era of Retrenchment PART III: MACHINES, PROGRESSIVES, AND WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE 5. The Progressives: Fighting Fraud, Suppressing Turnout 6. The Suffragettes and the 19th Amendment PART IV: THE TWENTIETH CENTURY AND THE STRUGGLE FOR RECOGNITION 7. The Civil Rights Era 8. The 1970s: Mixed Results Upon Implementation 9. Motor Voter and HAVA PART V: A NEW ERA OF RETRENCHMENT? 10. Empirical Studies of Voting Laws 11. Voter Fraud? 12. The 2012 Laws in the Courts 13. After Shelby County 14. A Return to Expanded Voting? 15. Tightened Voting Laws and Turnout 16. Results 17. Conclusion and Policy Recommendations Bibliography Appendix: Kris Kobach, The Man Behind the Laws

Who can vote has become one of the most contentious questions in America politics. It is surrounded by disputed causes and effects: fraud? voter suppression? racial or age discrimination? partisan gain or loss? State Voting Laws in American focuses the analytical tools of modern political science to provide or suggest answers. This compelling academic work will be a pragmatic resource for policymakers and citizens, especially those committed to a democracy of, by, and for the people. - Bob Graham, U.S. Senate, Retired

Smith, Rackaway, and Anderson's brief volume is unique in that it offers an empirical analysis of recent election laws while embedding those findings in a deep historical discussion of the battle over election practices in the U.S. By providing the context for contemporary debates, the authors are able to draw a line between what might seem to be a musty aclÃ