The following is an extract from our short explainer “Things You Might Not Know About Elections.” You can find the entire explainer here: https://cffad.org/things-you-might-not-know-about-elections/ Last week, we introduced the idea of universal voting rights. This week, we will begin a review of some of the obstacles to universal voting that will always need the vigilant […]
Obstacles to Universal Voting Read More »
The following is an extract from our short explainer “Things You Might Not Know About Elections.” You can find the entire explainer here: https://cffad.org/things-you-might-not-know-about-elections/ Thus far, we have covered (1) how elections are essential to your freedom and prosperity, (2) why elections can take many forms, and (3) how choices made by our state legislatures
Why Universal Voting Rights? Read More »
The following is an extract from our short explainer “Things You Might Not Know About Elections.” You can find the entire explainer here: https://cffad.org/things-you-might-not-know-about-elections/ The constitutions and laws of each state assign elections administration to various people and institutions. There is enormous variation across the U.S. in this regard. The Chief Election Officer in each
Who Administers Elections? Read More »
The following is an extract from our short explainer “Things You Might Not Know About Elections.” You can find the entire explainer here: https://cffad.org/things-you-might-not-know-about-elections/ Elections provide a more peaceful and legitimate way of transferring power than other political systems, provided that everyone trusts that they are delivering a fair and legitimate result. Elections administrators play
The Importance of Elections Administration Read More »
The following is an extract from our short explainer “Things You Might Not Know About Elections.” You can find the entire explainer here: https://cffad.org/things-you-might-not-know-about-elections/ How Winners are Defined Republics and other representative democracies around the world choose from a wide range of options for how votes translate into who sits in legislative bodies and who
How Are Elections Won? Read More »
The following is an extract from our short explainer “Things You Might Not Know About Elections.” You can find the entire explainer here: https://cffad.org/things-you-might-not-know-about-elections/ The mechanics of voting: Elections can take many forms depending upon circumstances and needs. For example, in The Gambia, as recently as 2021, where illiteracy was a huge societal problem, voters
The Mechanics of Voting Read More »
Voters and political parties became additional sources of presidential power and accountability.
The power to pardon creates some overlap in the powers of the presidency and those of the court.
The Twentieth Amendment largely removed the need for power to convene or adjourn Congress.
Test your knowledge against these five questions!
The Presidency – Quiz 1 Read More »
To faithfully execute the laws of the land, the presidency was assigned executive power that was mostly undefined.
Faithfully executing the laws of the land is one of the most important obligations of the presidency.
The framers feared that a president could be seduced by a foreign power to harm the country.
The framers agreed that the President would command the armed forces – with several explicit reservations.
Does voting make any difference? Is it worth the trouble? The answer depends upon you. If you and enough other people vote for someone who has pledged to represent your interests and to work with your opposition to solve problems, then, yes, absolutely your vote will make a difference. Politicians are highly tuned to what
The Value of Voting Read More »
In general, constitutions are written by people who expect to live and work together for generations to come. It’s when enough people no longer feel this way that Constitutions are weakened or destroyed. One of the reasons they might feel that way is because they have become divided and no longer trust each other.
Keeping Our Republic Read More »
Clashes in Berkeley and Portland bring to mind an interesting story about two countries where people who felt frustrated with each other and their governments. Citizens in Columbia and Venezuela (both republics) were fed up with the inability of their governments to solve their problems. In both cases, they were willing to try the leadership
A Tale of Two Countries Read More »
The U.S. Constitution provides for nearly universal adult access to the ballot. The pandemic is making that difficult. Most voting precincts had historically depended upon retirees to administer the system, many have to shutdown as this high-risk population is reluctant to participate this year. Younger people need to step up. If you want to
Are You Well Served by the USPS? Read More »
In times that strain our system of checks and balances, trying for more party purity – meaning moving the two major parties even further apart – is the wrong way to go. Instead, it is time to restore big tent politics.
Time to Restore Big Tent Politics Read More »
One of the most fundamental aspects of a democracy is that citizens vote for their leaders rather than politicians selecting their voters through partisan redistricting (gerrymandering). On October 3, 2017, the US Supreme Court heard a case that could end this practice forever. It is hard to know how the justices will rule on this issue but one thing is certain: anything that leads to more political competition will be welcome. As noted in our August 14, 2017 blog, too many states, and too many districts within those states are currently noncompetitive. More than a few districts don’t even provide voters with a choice: no-one wants to waste time and money running as an opposition candidate, knowing they are doomed to lose. Americans deserve better. Let’s hope the Supreme Court justices lend a hand.
The End of Partisan Gerrymandering? Fingers Crossed! Read More »
