Abstract This paper uses the case of Florida to illustrate how ballot initiatives, while originally intended as a means to enhance the process of direct democracy, have instead become a process whereby those who can afford to spend more money have a greater chance of getting a ballot initiative through the process successfully or of derailing the process if they oppose the initiative. The paper also briefly examines other states that have experienced the same type of corruption of the ballot initiatives and concludes that, while the ballot initiative was originally conceived as a form of direct democracy, the process has become so corrupted that it now works counter to the interests of the people.
From the Paper "Ballot initiatives have constituted a sort of shorthand for American democracy, in some quarters, since the late 1960s. It was then that Florida's new Constitution provided for the citizens of the state to be able to amend or revise the state's constitution by ballot initiative, which was also called direct democracy. Many observers make a distinction between a democracy and a republic, noting that a republic is government of the people exercised through their elected representatives, while democracy may be carried out through elected representatives or directly. Still, direct democracy sounds redundant and, arguably, the way ballot initiatives have been co-opted by large corporate entities and wealthy individuals with their own agendas, these days the term direct democracy is also inaccurate."
Abstract This paper examines the impact of citizen initiatives and ballot referendums in political elections in the United States. It argues that culture, political environment and the competitive dynamic of ballot proposals impact the results of citizen initiatives. It also evaluates the outcome of the Nevada initiatives from a few relevant theoretical perspectives to make broader generalizations about why question 5 was successful in the 2006 election. (The author provides brief explanations of questions 4 and 5.)
From the Paper "Nevada was historically Democratic until the early 1960s when the state began to divide politically, narrowly voting for John Kennedy in 1960 and Richard Nixon in 1968. Nevada state politics have been volatile over the past two decades, with sharp individualist newcomers leaning the state Republican in the 1980s due to heavy business interests. Since supporting Ronald Reagan with more than 60% of the popular vote in the 1980 and 1984 presidential elections, Nevada voters have favored Republicans with a libertarian but often culturally conservative streak (Barone and Cohen 2003). Though it also supported George Bush with 59% of the popular vote in the 1988 presidential election, Nevada gave its electoral votes to Bill Clinton twice in the 1990s. There are 361,465 registered Democrats and 368, 673 registered Republicans in the state, showing that neither party has a sizeable advantage in Nevada (Barone and Cohen 2003). The most influential political actors in the state are Senior Senator Harry Reid (D), Junior Senator John Ensign (R) and Governor Kenny Guinn (R). Before the 2006 elections Reid was the democratic whip in the senate, though he has never won an election by more than 51%. Most state-wide elections in Nevada are heated because of the high citizen turnover rate, making it unlikely that any of the key political actors will take stands on a public initiative (Barone 2003). It is in their interests to remain neutral rather than take sides on such a controversial issue."
Abstract This paper looks at the social and racial context contained in Malcolm X's speech known as "The Ballot of the Bullet". The writer looks at Malcolm X, his background, and influence on the civil rights movement in the 1960s in America. The speech explores issues of race, black power, government, and the potential for social change.
From the Paper "Of course, Malcolm X proposes a concrete plan for his fellowmen to promote social changes in the black American society. He believes in the power and influence of the United Nations in acting as intermediary for the black American society and the US government to negotiate about their proposed changes in the American society, since, according to Malcolm X, ?[w]hen you take your case to Washington D.C., you"re asking it to the criminal who's responsible" They?re all in cahoots together.? Apart from seeking the help of the UN, he also proposes that his fellowmen empower themselves in the country and against the forces that oppress them (the government) by becoming self-reliant economically and being assertive enough to illicit fear among these oppressive powers."
Abstract This paper provides a brief insight to the main events of the 2000 U.S. presidential elections. It analyzes how George W. Bush won the original vote in Florida and then won a recount of the same vote and how the Gore team opposed Bush's win, trying to hold on as long as they could. They claimed that the "butterfly" ballot used in several counties, including the Democratic Palm Beach County, was unconstitutional. It compares these events to the elections of 1876 between Samuel J. Tilden and Rutherford B. Hayes, a Republican governor like Bush and how like the 2000 election, the outcome of the 1876 election depended largely upon contested votes, recounts and even legal posturing in Florida .
From the Paper "The legal ballot used in Palm Beach County was actually designed by an elected Democrat official. Prior to the election, it was reviewed and approved by both Democrats and Republicans, publicized, and mailed to all registered voters in a sample ballot. New ballots were also provided for voters who complained of making mistakes. At the request of the Gore's team, hand-counts of individual ballots were conducted in many Democratic counties, including Palm Beach. However, during the first hand-count in Palm Beach, the standard was changed for judging whether or not a ballot was valid."
Tags: 2000, election, Palm, Beach, County, ballot, Samuel, J., Tilden, Rutherford, B.
Abstract This paper discusses the involvement of the U.S. Supreme Court in the Senate elections in New Jersey. The legal concerns of the Republican party were brought to the U.S. Supreme Court following the ruling of the New Jersey Supreme Court, allowing a deviance from the legislature. The paper examines the New Jersey State laws, which clearly define the timing and conditions for the withdrawal of a candidate and replacement of that candidate on the ballot.
From the Paper "The Republicans still had some hope that the United States Supreme Court would overrule the New Jersey Supreme Court. The US Supreme Court had involved itself in the Florida voting problems in the 2000 Presidential Election. However that was a Federal election and involved the executive branch. The New Jersey situation affected state law, not federal law so the US courts would not get involved. The state courts would have had to misinterpret the state responsibilities written into the US Constitution."
Abstract Examines the 2000 California ballot measure. Presents argument for and against the "get-tough" initiative which passed. Changes in the juvenile justice system resulting from Prop 21. Legal definition of juvenile. Philosophy of juvenile courts. Issues of public safety, youth gangs, growing violence of juvenile crimes, treatment of juveniles. Contends the inititative is flawed.
From the Paper "Juvenile crime has become one of America's most prominent issues, even as the overall crime rate has declined to the lowest point in decades. Several celebrated cases have helped create an image of teenagers run amok and younger and younger kids committing major felonies. Once apprehended, these children enter a juvenile justice system that many claim utilizes an outdated approach. In some cases, murderers have gone free at age 25 simply because that is the incarceration limit for the juvenile justice system.
In response, an advocacy group placed a get-tough measure (called Proposition 21) on the California ballot. This initiative, which passed overwhelmingly (62 percent to 38 percent), calls for dramatic changes in the juvenile justice system. This paper will examine Proposition 21, highlighting the..."
Abstract This paper examines Ralph Ellison? s "Battle Royal", Leslie Marmon "Silko's Ceremony", Martin Luther King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" and Malcolm X's ?The Ballot or the Bullet." It shows how they all offer vivid and important accounts of racism in the United States of America, all present different aspects of the problem and offer different ways of coping with them. More than anything, these texts testify to the continuing problem of racism in America and the multiplicity of forms in which racism can manifest itself.
From the Paper "Indeed, the manifestations of racism are so heavy within the "Battle Royal" section of Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man that it is difficult to pinpoint one single instance of racism, which outshines the others. Indeed, the chapter effectively presages all the manners of racism that will eventually manifest later in the book. The unnamed protagonist who has won a school prize is sent to the white men's club to deliver a speech, but is forced to compete in the Battle Royal instead, a request with which he too willingly complies. He is forced to box a large group of other men blindfolded, to pick coins off an electric carpet (which turn out to be fake coins), and eventually to read his speech with his mouth so full of blood that he can barely speak and is forced to swallow his own blood. The racism throughout the chapter is grotesque and at point absurd, but Ellison uses this absurdity to use the Battle Royal scene as an effective allegory for the rest of the book."
Abstract This paper discusses the issues surrounding direct democracy on the local and state levels, in an effort to determine whether or not wealthy interest groups influence referendums, ballot initiatives, and other forms of direct legislation at the expense of the broader public interest. The paper looks at the issue from both viewpoints, citing that many people believe that direct legislation has been taken over by the very same wealthy interests whose power it was created to decrease, while many counter that big spending does not necessarily mean big influence.
From the Paper "The referendum refers to the power of the people to approve or reject acts of the legislature (Knutsen, 2002). Referendum comes in several forms depending on the nature of the legislation to which it applies. The referendum can be broken down into four dimensions: form of legislation (including constitutional amendments, ordinary statutes, and fiscal issues), initiator (including citizens, legislature, the president and the states), advisory or binding, and voluntary or compulsory."
Abstract The paper discusses how a democracy should weigh each vote equally, make the electoral process accessible to everyone, ensure that the legislative assembly accurately represents the will of the people, have cost-effective elections with no electoral fraud and allow people to feel secure when they cast their ballot. The paper then examines Canada, Mexico and the United States and considers to what extent each country has elections that provide a safe, ethical, well-administered and equitable electoral system. The paper looks at the remedies which can be applied in each nation to improve the current situation for future generations. The paper shows how Mexico in particular must do a better job of entrenching the rule of law as a staple of its political culture.
From the Paper "At this juncture, it is appropriate to offer a brief contextual overview of the three countries' political systems inasmuch as, to the extent they are all rather similar and democratic, there is no reason why they cannot each develop an equitable and fair system for Election Day proceedings; in other words, Mexico is more like Canada than some people might suppose. Most notably, beyond also having a federal bicameral structure like Canada (and the United States) Mexico has shown a willingness to become more accommodating to a diversity of views in its representative assemblies (Schedler, 20-30). Unfortunately, the historic terrain of Mexican politics has been rough when it comes to meaningful reform and to the long-term sustainability of that reform (Schedler, 10; for a litany of "false starts" vis-a-vis reforming the Mexican democratic process, please see "Popular Choice and Electoral Politics," 125-126) and, lacking a tradition of fair voting representation (and a tradition of opposing ballot box fraud and coercion) its future as a democracy is uncertain."
Abstract The paper discusses the Populists party's demands for a currency reform, a graduated federal income tax, a postal savings systems and a sub-treasury which would provide farmers with monetary support. The paper also discusses how the party wished for the government to be the sole owner of the railways, for the direct election of senators, for the United States president to only be allowed to serve one term and for the adoption of the secret ballot. The paper shows how the Populist party was all about the rule of the people; therefore it supported initiative, recall and referendum.
From the Paper "The Populist Party was a political party in the United States in the late 1800s. It was made up of mostly western farmers who were opposed to the gold standard. The Populist Party grew from the Farmer's Alliance which in response to the collapse in agriculture prices after the Panic of 1873, sought to counter this deflation by opposing the gold standard. This was only one of the changes sought after by the Populists in the Ocala Demands, their platform for economic and political reform."
Abstract In this article, the writer notes that voting fraud has always been a concern in U. S. elections. However, the writer points out that during the last few years, concerns over electronic voting and the possibility of fraud has sparked heated debates that continue today. The writer discusses the two different types of electronic voting systems, the optical scan system and the touch-screen system. The writer maintains that the success of the system of elections is based on three premises: the secrecy of the ballot, safeguards against fraud, and safeguards against voter intimidation. The writer concludes that, while criticism still echoes concerning electronic voting machines, butterfly ballots, chads and other twentieth century voting technology have all but disappeared.
From the Paper "Internet voting is the process by which a voter casts his/her ballot on a personal computer that then electronically sends the ballot to the election office. While this system has the greatest potential for making election more convenient and accessible, it also presents major concerns surrounding the verifiability and security given the overall vulnerability of the Internet environment. Most agree that Internet voting is far too risky for general implementation, however as advances in encryption and other security measures are made, Internet voting will likely become more prevalent. The Defense Department is leading the way in resolving Internet security measures with several experiments and pilot projects. For example, to improve voting opportunities of overseas military personnel, the Defense Department conduct an experiment called Voting Over the Internet Pilot Project during the election of 2000, and planned another called the Secure Electronic Registration and Voting Experiment during the 2004 election, however this project was cancelled before the 2004 election due to unresolved security issues."
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts the views of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X and their approach to the civil rights struggle. Their means, philosophies and principles are looked at as well.
From the Paper "The 1950's and 1960's were periods of major disjunction and turmoil between races in the United States, especially in the South. The civil rights battle was one that was fought on many different fronts with many different means and methods. Two of the more prominent leaders of the civil rights struggle were Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Although the leaders had the same end results in mind, their means, philosophies, and principles differed. Their main doctrinal differences fixate on their willingness to employ violence to achieve their end goals. While Dr. King employs a passive resistance or civilly disobedient approach, Malcolm X articulated his view of the "ballot or the bullet". In this paper I intend to compare and contrast Dr. King and Malcolm X's views in regard to the justification of violence in achieving civil rights success to those of John Rawls."
Abstract This paper examines the issue of racial gerrymandering in the U.S. The author provides examples of cases in which Democrats lost seats because of racial gerrymandering. Then, the author discusses the Voting Rights Act as amended by the Supreme Court.
From the paper:
"The Voting Rights Act allowed the U.S. attorney general (who was Nicholas Katzenbach at the time) to review voting practices and determine which states, counties, and political subdivisions were discriminating against nonwhite voters. Using rules set out in the act, the attorney general could identify those places that had a "test or device" (McWhirter, 1994) that limited voter registration as well as those places in which less than 50 percent of the voting-age residents were registered to vote in the 1964 presidential election. The act also allowed the attorney general to appoint voting examiners to go into these states, counties, or political subdivisions (which were mainly in the South) and register voters who met all requirements for registration other than the illegal test. The act also required that any changes in voting requirements in the areas that were affected by the act had to be approved by the attorney general. Chief Justice Warren found this to be within the power of Congress as well.
In 1970 the Voting Rights Act was amended. The Supreme Court reviewed the constitutionality of the act in the 1970 decision of Oregon v. Mitchell. As different sections of the act were being considered, the Court divided into different voting blocks. A unanimous Court ruled that Congress had the power to end literacy tests across the country. With a vote of eight to one, the Court accepted the idea that Congress could establish uniform standards for voter registration and absentee balloting. By a vote of five to four, the Court upheld the power of Congress to lower the voting age to 18 in all federal elections. By a vote of five to four, however, the Court ruled that Congress did not have the power under the Fifteenth Amendment to lower the voting age to 18 for state and local elections."
Abstract The moral issue of physician-assisted suicide is in the forefront of controversial issues being discussed amongst Oregonians today, according to this paper. Oregon's ballot measures 16 and 51 changed the law to legalize physician-assisted suicide - the first state to have such legal rights. This paper gives an inside perspective on the many opinions that the author from Oregon tries to portray.
From the Paper ""In November 1994, Oregonians voted on ballot measure 16, a measure which would legalize physician-assisted suicide. Under this measure, physicians would legally be able to write a prescription of lethal drugs to adults with a 6 months or less diagnosis of a terminal illness" (http://www.ortl.org/suicide/background.htm). Before this election in Oregon, pro-euthanasia groups had come together and campaigned unsuccessfully in California in 1992, and in Washington in 1991. Perhaps the reason these two states were unable to gain election was because the method of death was legal injection to be administered by the physician. ?Exit polls revealed the public's distrust of this method, thus causing the Right to Die campaign to "soften" the method to self-administered drugs. This tactic was better received by the public, and Measure 16 passed by a slim margin of 51% to 49%, making Oregon the first government in the world to legalize physician-assisted suicide? (http://www.org/suicide/background.htm). Thus, from the start of this election, it is easy to observe that not everyone in Oregon was or is excited about this new legalization. Such a small margin of wining was bound to give rise to controversy over the issue, and that's exactly what resulted."
Tags: assisted, care, ethics, health, laws, physician, suicide, Oregon, legal, government
Abstract The development of a secure and accurate voting system for the populace of Orange County is a task of paramount importance. Incorporated in this proposal are recommendations for the construction of such a system. In this proposal the writer addresses both the benefits and potential shortcomings of a computer based system and highlights the technologies used to insure security, privacy, accessibility and accountability. Finally, it addresses several issues relevant to the new voting system including public acceptance and system administration.
From the Paper "Any computer based voting system must balance the benefits of automation and convenience with the security risk inherent in such systems. Computers are compromised daily and various measures must be implemented to insure the integrity of the system. It is well worth noting, that though the traditional "hacker" is a threat, lack of public confidence in the security, privacy, and accuracy of the system, pose far greater a threat than any one individual can. These sentiments are what led Rebecca Mercuri to argue that, ?the benefits of automation are still outweighed by the risks.? This feeling is still prevalent in the general public so our system must take every step necessary to facilitate public trust and to insure the integrity of our results."
