We Get What We Vote For... Or Do We: The Impact of Elections on Governing

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Competitive elections are vital to any democracy. American elections and public policy making demonstrate many positive qualities, but, at the same time, are beset with serious problems. As the essays in this collection make clear, we sometimes get what we vote for, but often we do not. Scheele and his contributors first examine the mechanics of American elections, including candidates' political communication, the impact of television, advertising, and polling on elections, the growing problem of campaign finance, and the new roles of political parties in elections. They then turn to the effect of elections on specific policies, including gender issues, social welfare, and Supreme Court policy making. In the concluding section, the volume reexamines election theories and practices, including the myth of electoral mandates, the adoption of proportional representation, the possibility that American elections are actually working well, the proposition that American politics is becoming so fragmented that critical realignments may no longer occur, and, conversely, that America is taking on some of the characteristics of parliamentary government.

Reviews

.,."the articles present a compelling and objectively presented case that, from a number of perspectives, U.S. voters do not get what they vote for. This work provides a number of possible solutions to correct this situation....This volume is recommended for senior undergraduates in political science and public administration, as well as graduate students and faculty in these and related disciplines."-Journal of Government Information
...the articles present a compelling and objectively presented case that, from a number of perspectives, U.S. voters do not get what they vote for. This work provides a number of possible solutions to correct this situation....This volume is recommended for senior undergraduates in political science and public administration, as well as graduate students and faculty in these and related disciplines.-Journal of Government Information
..."the articles present a compelling and objectively presented case that, from a number of perspectives, U.S. voters do not get what they vote for. This work provides a number of possible solutions to correct this situation....This volume is recommended for senior undergraduates in political science and public administration, as well as graduate students and faculty in these and related disciplines."-Journal of Government Information

Author Bio

PAUL E. SCHEELE is Professor Emeritus, Political Science, at SUNY at Oneonta./e Along with his 33-year career in teaching, Professor Scheele served in the U.S. Bureau of the Budget, assisted with Al Gore's first run for the U.S. Senate, and worked as a congressional staffer.