"The Permanent Campaign" was written by Norman J. Ornstein and Amy S. Mitchell. This article appeared first in The World & I, in January 1997. Norman Ornstein is regarded as one of our nation's foremost experts on Congress. Mr. Ornstein received a Ph.D.. from the University ...

There are many elements that combine together to make up the American political system, including: polls, voters, political parties, interest groups, and lobbyists. These elements have the ability to both advance and retard the system. Polls have the ability to gage the publics opinion on the imp...

Citizens' tend to make political decisions that are affected by their understanding of political institutions. People with a full understanding of political institutions have conceptual maps of the world that are less uncertain. Without this knowledge people see economic and social change a...

The book, which was chosen for this review, is Paradoxes in Politics written by Steven J. Brams. The book Paradox and Politics is an introduction to the nonobvious in political science. When speaking about the book Paradoxes in Politics, John A. Ferejohn, an associate professor of political science ...

The mass media plays an important role informing the majority of the public of political issues as well as government. Starting with radio then moving on to television allowed campaigners and news to be broadcast to large masses of people. I think for the most part it does perform its role properl...

Who is really voting, the people or the selected few. The recent election involving Bush and Gore has heated up a fifty year old debate. The debate is about whether the Electoral College is still an effective system considering the circumstances the United States now faces compar...

The election of 2000 is one that we will all remember, not because the candidates but because of the state of Florida. The chaos of the 2000 election in Florida has shown that our electoral system is in definite need of immediate reform. Not necessarily our voting system but more the means that we c...

1920, this year should ring a bell in everybody's mind. Especially in the minds of over 50% of this class. 1920 is the year that women earned the right to vote. After 75 years of struggles, fighting, defeats pain & tears Susan B. Anthony and her followers accomplished their biggest goal by ...

Direct Democracy Direct democracy is a way for average people like you and I to take care of public issues rather than leaving it up to representatives. Direct democracy can be applied in three different forms. The first is known as the initiative. Regular people, the voters, can take the p...

Without some form of elections, there is no democracy. In today's world, different states across the globe are uniquely recognized by the culture, political history and party organization they stand on. Given this, states develop unique electoral arrangements from the vast variety of these sy...

ELECTORAL COLLEGE SYSTEM: Is it time for a change? The recent presidential election brought to the forefront of the American public's mind the question of whether the Electoral College remains an appropriate method of electing the nation's highest-ranking public official. Although the cl...

Voting defines democracy. Voting is the fundamental right of almost all American citizens over the age of eighteen. In insures that the will of the people is preserved. The essential difference between America and a dictatorial nation such as Iraq is the right of our citizens to choose between tw...

Should Canadians have a direct democracy? Are the Canadian people capable of making decisions for themselves or should they elect people that can make the decisions for them? We here in Canada claim to be a nation of democracy, but in truth we are not. Democracy is defined by Websters dictionary...

The Growth of Democracy In 1850, Britain was an undemocratic country. At this time the Electoral system divided Boroughs and Counties. Voting qualifications were different in boroughs and constituencies. The vote was only given to men over the age of 21 providing their property...

In 1850, Britain was an undemocratic country. At this time the electoral system divided Boroughs and Counties. Voting qualifications were different in boroughs and constituencies. The vote was only given to men over the age of 21 providing their property was valued at £10 or more, or land was ...

When are Majoritarian democracies more representative than Consensual democracies? The past twenty five years has seen the rapid proliferation of democracy. Notably, the areas of Eastern Europe and Latin America have experienced both the demise of autocratic and dictatorial regimes and in turn...

Who's the real fool? As a minority in the United States, Black people start off from a disadvantaged position from birth. Racism, prejudice, and systematic manipulation of economic, social, and educational structures in the United States lead to securing the disadvantaged position that black p...

Voting Neglection By any measure, America's youngest adult generation -- Generation X-- are the least politically active of any generation. Statistic after statistic tell the story of a generation that turns out to vote less frequently than others; the numbers also show that young adults...

Electoral College Recent events have shown a need for change in a certain part of the United States' society; the Electoral College. "Decision 2000", as it was rightfully called, was the 2000 Presidental election mainly between George W. Bush and Al Gore. The reason the Electoral College need...

The Effect of Race on Voter Turnout Does voter turnout amongst various races stem from a lack of resources, or just plain laziness? The determining factors have been studied and pondered in the minds of many for years. The effect of race on voter turnout is often hypothesized and associated with...

The Last Hurrah There once was a day when politics was about quick witted men speaking directly to the constituency. "The Last Hurrah" by Edwin O'Connor is about the end of those days in Boston. The mayor of Boston is running for one last term as mayor. This is the tale of that r...

Question 2: Media and Voter turnout Today's technology is more powerful and far greater than in the years past. New forms of media have opened the door to numerous areas of communication. "Networks and independents spawned satellite link-ups, cable television, telephone marketing, co...

Democracy, literally, means "the rule of the many". Here in Canada, we are lucky enough to live in a liberal democracy. We all have the right to vote and elect officials to represent us in government, a priviledge that citizens of only 69.2% of coutries currently have1. But how much of ...

Compulsory voting (CV) is a system of laws and/or norms mandating that enfranchised citizens turn out to vote, often accompanied by (a) a system of compulsory voter registration and (b) penalties for non-compliance, usually fines or the denial of state-provided benefits. Cross-national studies find ...