Stephen J. Wayne – författare

This new edition examines the theory, structure, and the contemporary electoral process, analyzing how the system has evolved, how it is working today, and its challenges for the future. Stephen J. Wayne illuminates the democratic strength and weaknesses of the American electoral system and asks, "Is this any way to run a democratic election?"

Updated to included insight into the contentious 2020 and 2022 elections, the chapters look ahead to the 2024 election with detailed analysis of the impact of money, media, partisanship, misinformation, changes in electoral laws, public trust and election denial on the electorate, political parties, and the candidates for office. Each chapter opens with “Did You Know” teasers and concludes with a critical thinking section that includes Discussion Questions, Topics for Debate, Research Oriented Exercises, and Internet Resources and Selected Readings--providing a wide array of tools with which to explore alternatives to the status quo. Comparative examples from other countries are included to provide readers with a broader perspective on the issues democracies face around the world.

Tackling the big questions about American politics, this is an accessible read for undergraduate students in courses on Electoral Politics, Political Parties, Campaigns and Voting and American Democracy.

This new edition examines the theory, structure, and the contemporary electoral process, analyzing how the system has evolved, how it is working today, and its challenges for the future. Stephen J. Wayne illuminates the democratic strength and weaknesses of the American electoral system and asks, "Is this any way to run a democratic election?"

Updated to included insight into the contentious 2020 and 2022 elections, the chapters look ahead to the 2024 election with detailed analysis of the impact of money, media, partisanship, misinformation, changes in electoral laws, public trust and election denial on the electorate, political parties, and the candidates for office. Each chapter opens with “Did You Know” teasers and concludes with a critical thinking section that includes Discussion Questions, Topics for Debate, Research Oriented Exercises, and Internet Resources and Selected Readings--providing a wide array of tools with which to explore alternatives to the status quo. Comparative examples from other countries are included to provide readers with a broader perspective on the issues democracies face around the world.

Tackling the big questions about American politics, this is an accessible read for undergraduate students in courses on Electoral Politics, Political Parties, Campaigns and Voting and American Democracy.

The 2012 election is over, but the debate over the fairness and accuracy of our electoral system continues. The courts are dealing with the alleged discriminatory impact of voter ID requirements on minority voters; privacy and vote manipulation are concerns as political campaigns utilize new technology to target voters; the news media are contending with harsh public criticism of their elections coverage; the campaign finance floodgates were opened with vast resources spent on negative advertising; and the Electoral College continues to undermine a national, democratic electoral system—Is this any way to run a democratic election?

This fully updated fifth edition answers that important question by looking at both recent events and recent scholarship focused on the democratic electoral process, including new data and timely illustrations from the 2012 elections.

Has our system of checks and balances between the three branches of our federal government undergone changes for good or ill over the years since the Constitution was set as the cornerstone of our nation? How stand our political traditions, our personal freedoms, our purported equality, our sense of governance "of, by, and for the people"? Are we the democratic nation we set out to be, or do we have a distance to go to achieve this ideal? Alternatively, is approaching a democratic ideal desirable today in the light of the smaller, more integrated, and dangerous world in which we live?

Is This Any Way to Run a Democratic Government? examines the theory and practice of American democracy and the dichotomy that currently exists between them. The contributors assess both the reasons—and the consequences—of this division between the theory of democracy and how it is played out in actuality. Focusing on the here and now, this book is about the institutions, process, and politics of government: how well they work; whether they meet the criteria for a viable democratic system; and the extent to which they contribute to good public policy.

As we begin the 21st century, with rancorous political partisanship and threats to domestic security and tranquility at an all-time high, Is This Any Way to Run a Democratic Government? asks us to think seriously about the state of our much-heralded democracy, and whether or not our political system can respond to the pressing needs of a new era without jeopardizing the basic values and beliefs that underlie its very foundation.

Renowned presidential scholar Stephen Wayne takes a close look at the interplay of personal character, partisan politics, and public opinion on presidential decision-making. In this systematic character study, Wayne considers how President Obama’s policy beliefs and operating style fueled his meteoric success as a candidate, but have had a decidedly mixed impact on his governance as president. Arguing that character matters, Wayne shows that Obama’s personal dimensions both contribute and detract from his policy achievements and political goals.

Taking into account the environment in which he took office up through the “shellacking” of the Democrats in November 2010, the book looks at how Obama has dealt with the troubled economy and a polarized political climate. Wayne sets his study within the larger literature on presidential character and explores the broader questions surrounding presidential leadership in a democratic society: Do presidents lead or follow public opinion? To what extent do leadership skills make a difference? What kind of policy and political impact can presidents have in the twenty-first century?