An urgent and gripping look at the erosion of voting rights and its implications for democracy, told through the stories of 9 Supreme Court decisions-and the next looming case
In The Court v. The Voters, law professor Joshua Douglas takes us behind the scenes of significant cases in voting rights-some surprising and unknown, some familiar-to investigate the historic crossroads that have irrevocably changed our elections and the nation. In crisp and accessible prose, Douglas tells the story of each case, sheds light on the intractable election problems we face as a result, and highlights the unique role the highest court has played in producing a broken electoral system.
Douglas charts infamous cases like:
- Bush v. Gore, which opened the door to many election law claims
- Citizens United, which contributed to skewed representation-but perhaps not in the way you might think
- Shelby County v. Holder, which gutted the vital protections of the Voting Rights Act
- Crawford v. Marion County Elections Board, which allowed states to enforce voter ID laws and make it harder for people to vote
The Court v. The Voters powerfully reminds us of the tangible, real-world effects from the Court's voting rights decisions. While we can-and should-lament the democracy that might have been, Douglas argues that we can-and should-double down in our efforts to protect the right to vote.
In contrast to the anxiety surrounding our voting system, with stories about voter suppression and manipulation, there are actually quite a few positive initiatives toward voting rights reform. Professor Joshua A. Douglas, an expert on our electoral system, examines these encouraging developments in this inspiring book about how regular Americans are working to take back their democracy, one community at a time.
Told through the narratives of those working on positive voting rights reforms, Douglas includes chapters on expanding voter eligibility, easing voter registration rules, making voting more convenient, enhancing accessibility at the polls, providing voters with more choices, finding ways to comply with voter ID rules, giving redistricting back to the voters, pushing back on big money through local and state efforts, using journalism to make the system more accountable, and improving civics education.
Unusually accessible for a lay audience and thoroughly researched, this book gives anyone fed up with our current political environment the ideas and tools necessary to affect change in their own communities.
