Law and Election Politics

Matthew J. Streb is Associate Professor of Political Science and chair of the Department of Political Science at Northern Illinois University. He is the author of two books, The New Electoral Politics of Race (University of Alabama, 2002) and Rethinking American Electoral Democracy (Routledge, 2008, 2011). He is the editor of Running for Judge (New York University Press, 2007), Academic Freedom at the Dawn of a New Century (Stanford University Press, 2006), and Polls and Politics (SUNY Press, 2004), and has published numerous articles and book chapters.

"Streb has assembled a volume which needs to be on the bookshelf of everyone who studies the intersection of law and electoral politics. The completely fresh second edition of Law and Election Politics consistently provides insight and wisdom from some of the brightest minds working in election law, on issues ranging from political parties to voter identification laws to judicial elections to direct democracy. Professors, graduate students, and undergraduates will all learn a great deal."—Richard L. Hasen, University of California, Irvine"Just in time for the 2012 elections, Matt Streb and the contributors to this volume have integrated political and legal analyses to enrich understanding of elections in the United States. The authors address important questions of electoral democracy—incorporating historical and current data to demonstrate how laws and legal decisions impact politics. The volume is very readable and thought-provoking and an excellent selection for courses on elections or for anyone interested in the fate of American electoral democracy."—Ann N. Crigler, University of Southern California"Law and Election Politics is an excellent book in which leading scholars report on the latest developments in election law and political campaigns. This well-written volume clearly explains the legal basis for modern campaigns and the voting experience."—David C. Kimball, University of Missouri-St. Louis"A wide ranging collection of essays on contemporary election law topics and controversies. Students, scholars, and concerned citizens looking for introductions to these topics will find it an invaluable resource."—Bruce Cain, University of California, Berkeley"This is a terrific collection of essays, sure to become an invaluable resource to scholars who teach or do research on elections. Finally, I can answer all of those troubling questions student ask about legal aspects of elections!"—Thomas M. Holbrook, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

• Introduction: Linking Election Law and Electoral Politics, Matthew J. Streb. 1: Campaign Finance Law—The Changing Role of Parties and Interest Groups, Michael M. Franz. 2: Public Financing of Elections—Past, Present, Future, Peter L. Francia. 3: The Internet— The Promise of Democratization of American Politics, Lee E. Goodman. 4: Voting Machines—The Question of Equal Protection, Thad Hall and Lucy Williams. 5: Voter Identification Laws—The Controversy over Voter Fraud, Lorraine C. Minnite. 6: Early Voting: The Quiet Revolution in American Elections, Paul Gronke. 7: Recounts—Elections in Overtime, Edward B. Foley. 8: Direct Democracy—Regulating the "Will of the People," Daniel A. Smith. 9: Political Parties and Primaries—The Tension between Free Association and the Right to Vote, Kristin Kanthak and Eric Loepp. 10: Third Parties—How American Election Law and Institutions Cripple Third Parties, Marjorie Randon Hershey. 11: Redistricting—Racial and Partisan Issues Past and Present, Charles S. Bullock III. 12: Judicial Elections—Just Like Any Other Election, Matthew J. Streb