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Building on We the People’s unparalleled focus on participation
and the citizen’s role, new coauthor Megan Ming Francis uses her
experience as an instructor and scholar of race and ethnicity
politics to?energize coverage of race and social movements. New
Check Your Understanding questions—in both print and ebook
formats—motivate students and builds confidence in their
learning. In the Norton Illumine Ebook Check Your Understanding
questions include rich answer-feedback that helps students practice
their learning. InQuizitive activities confirm chapter-level
understanding and allow students to practice applying essential
concepts.
Democracy in the States offers a 21st century agenda for election
reform in America based on lessons learned in the fifty states.
Combining accessibility and rigor, leading scholars of U.S.
politics and elections examine the impact of reforms intended to
increase the integrity, fairness, and responsiveness of the
electoral system. While some of these reforms focus on election
administration, which has been the subject of much controversy
since the 2000 presidential election, others seek more broadly to
increase political participation and improve representation. For
example, Paul Gronke (Reed College) and his colleagues study the
relationship between early voting and turnout. Barry Burden
(University of Wisconsin-Madison) examines the hurdles that
third-party candidates must clear to get on the ballot in different
states. Michael McDonald (George Mason University) analyzes the
leading strategies for redistricting reform. And Todd Donovan
(Western Washington University) focuses on how the spread of "safe"
legislative seats affects both representation and participation.
Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis famously observed that "a
single courageous state may, if its citizens choose, serve as a
laboratory; and try novel social and economic experiments without
risk to the rest of the country." Nowhere is this function more
essential than in the sphere of election reform, as this important
book shows.
Recent years have witnessed widespread changes in state voting and
registration laws. These include same day registration, automatic
voter registration, early voting, mail voting, and no-excuse
absentee voting where people mail in their ballots. Most research
on these voting reforms has downplayed their effects, showing that
they generally benefit educated, older, and more affluent people.
This book shows the positive effects that these reforms have on
overall voter turnout, and among voters of disadvantaged groups.
Specifically, it emphasizes the ways that state governments are
making it easier to participate in elections in an effort to
strengthen democratic government. In Accessible Elections, Michael
Ritter and Caroline J. Tolbert explore the wide variation from
state to state in convenience voting methods and provide new
empirical analysis of the beneficial effects of these policies, not
only in boosting participation rates overall, but in increasing
voter turnout for disadvantaged groups. The authors measure both
convenience methods and implementation of the laws, and explore how
elections are conducted across the fifty states, where average
turnout has varied more than 25 percentage points over the past
four decades. The authors also draw on national voter files with
millions of cases and vote histories of the same individuals over
time in order to show the real effects of election reform and to
make a case for how state governments can modernize their electoral
practices, increase voter turnout, and make the experience of
voting more accessible and equitable. Ritter and Tolbert assert
that in the wake of covid-19 and efforts to maintain social
distancing, early voting and absentee/mail voting are of particular
importance to avoid election-day crowds and ensure equitable
elections in states with large populations. With important
implications for the 2020 general election and beyond, Accessible
Elections underscores how state governments can modernize their
electoral procedures to increase voter turnout, address
inequalities, and influence campaign and party mobilization
strategies.
Digital information drives participation in politics, the economy,
and society. Yet great disparities exist as to which communities
have access to the internet. In 2017, only half of residents of
formerly industrial Flint, Michigan, had broadband or satellite
internet at home, while over 90 percent of those in thriving
Sunnyvale, California, in Silicon Valley, were connected. More
recently, Covid-19 laid bare these persistent digital divides in
both urban and rural communities, illustrating that broadband use
is a fundamental resource for the future of opportunity in
communities. While previous studies have examined the impacts of
broadband infrastructure, they have indicated little about the
extent to which local populations can afford and use the
technology. Moreover, there has been limited scientific evidence on
how broadband adoption matters for collective benefits. Including
new data on broadband subscriptions from 2000-2017, and
comprehensive analysis for U.S. states, counties, metros, cities,
and neighborhoods, Choosing the Future argues that broadband use in
the population is a form of digital human capital that benefits
communities as well as individuals. Broadband has a causal impact
across all types of communities—for economic prosperity, growth,
income, employment, and policy innovation. Yet there are urban
neighborhoods and rural counties where as little as one-quarter of
the population has a broadband subscription, even when mobile is
included. As we build "smart" cities and communities, as economies
and jobs continue to experience rapid change, and as more
information and services migrate online, it is communities with
widespread broadband use that will be best positioned for inclusive
innovation, with the digital human capital to thrive.
In an age when the United Nations has declared access to the
Internet a human right, and universal access to high-speed
broadband is a national goal, urban areas have been largely ignored
by federal policy. The cost of that neglect may well be the failure
to realize the social benefits of broadband and a broadly-connected
digital society.
Technology offers unparalleled advantages for innovation in urban
areas - in the economy, health care, education, energy,
transportation, government services, civic engagement, and more.
With their density and networks of activity, cities hold the most
potential for reaping the benefits of technology. But there are
surprisingly substantial disparities in broadband adoption across
cities. More puzzlingly, rather than promoting innovation or
addressing the high cost of broadband access, the US has mostly
funded expensive rural infrastructure in sparsely-populated areas.
Digital Cities tells the story of information technology use and
inequality in American metropolitan areas and discusses directions
for change. The authors argue that mobile-only Internet, the form
used by many minorities and urban poor, is a second-class form of
access, as they offer evidence that users with such limited access
have dramatically lower levels of online activity and skill.
Digital citizenship and full participation in economic, social and
political life requires home access. Using multilevel statistical
models, the authors present new data ranking broadband access and
use in the nation's 50 largest cities and metropolitan areas,
showing considerable variation across places. Unique, neighborhood
data from Chicago examines the impact of poverty and segregation on
access in a large and diverse city, and it parallels analysis of
national patterns in urban, suburban and rural areas. Digital
Cities demonstrate the significance of place for shaping our
digital future and the need for policies that recognize the
critical role of cities in addressing both social inequality and
opportunity.
In an age when the United Nations has declared access to the
Internet a human right, and universal access to high-speed
broadband is a national goal, urban areas have been largely ignored
by federal policy. The cost of that neglect may well be the failure
to realize the social benefits of broadband and a broadly-connected
digital society.
Technology offers unparalleled advantages for innovation in urban
areas - in the economy, health care, education, energy,
transportation, government services, civic engagement, and more.
With their density and networks of activity, cities hold the most
potential for reaping the benefits of technology. But there are
surprisingly substantial disparities in broadband adoption across
cities. More puzzlingly, rather than promoting innovation or
addressing the high cost of broadband access, the US has mostly
funded expensive rural infrastructure in sparsely-populated areas.
Digital Cities tells the story of information technology use and
inequality in American metropolitan areas and discusses directions
for change. The authors argue that mobile-only Internet, the form
used by many minorities and urban poor, is a second-class form of
access, as they offer evidence that users with such limited access
have dramatically lower levels of online activity and skill.
Digital citizenship and full participation in economic, social and
political life requires home access. Using multilevel statistical
models, the authors present new data ranking broadband access and
use in the nation's 50 largest cities and metropolitan areas,
showing considerable variation across places. Unique, neighborhood
data from Chicago examines the impact of poverty and segregation on
access in a large and diverse city, and it parallels analysis of
national patterns in urban, suburban and rural areas. Digital
Cities demonstrate the significance of place for shaping our
digital future and the need for policies that recognize the
critical role of cities in addressing both social inequality and
opportunity.
That there is a "digital divide" -- which falls between those
who have and can afford the latest in technological tools and those
who have neither in our society -- is indisputable. "Virtual
Inequality "redefines the issue as it explores the cascades of that
divide, which involve access, skill, political participation, as
well as the obvious economics. Computer and Internet access are
insufficient without the skill to use the technology, and economic
opportunity and political participation provide primary
justification for realizing that this inequality is a public
problem and not simply a matter of private misfortune.
Defying those who say the divide is growing smaller, this
volume, based on a unique national survey that includes data from
over 1800 respondents in low-income communities, shows otherwise.
In addition to demonstrating why disparities persist in such areas
as technological abilities, the survey also shows that the
digitally disadvantaged often share many of the same beliefs as
their more privileged counterparts. African-Americans, for
instance, are even more positive in their attitudes toward
technology than whites are in many respects, contrary to
conventional wisdom. The rigorous research on which the conclusions
are based is presented accessibly and in an easy-to-follow
manner.
Not content with analysis alone, nor the untangling of the
complexities of policymaking, "Virtual Inequality" views the
digital divide compassionately in its human dimensions and
recommends a set of practical and common-sense policy strategies.
Inequality, even in a virtual form this book reminds us, is
unacceptable and a situation that society is compelled to
address.
Digital information drives participation in politics, the economy,
and society. Yet great disparities exist as to which communities
have access to the internet. In 2017, only half of residents of
formerly industrial Flint, Michigan, had broadband or satellite
internet at home, while over 90 percent of those in thriving
Sunnyvale, California, in Silicon Valley, were connected. More
recently, Covid-19 laid bare these persistent digital divides in
both urban and rural communities, illustrating that broadband use
is a fundamental resource for the future of opportunity in
communities. While previous studies have examined the impacts of
broadband infrastructure, they have indicated little about the
extent to which local populations can afford and use the
technology. Moreover, there has been limited scientific evidence on
how broadband adoption matters for collective benefits. Including
new data on broadband subscriptions from 2000-2017, and
comprehensive analysis for U.S. states, counties, metros, cities,
and neighborhoods, Choosing the Future argues that broadband use in
the population is a form of digital human capital that benefits
communities as well as individuals. Broadband has a causal impact
across all types of communities-for economic prosperity, growth,
income, employment, and policy innovation. Yet there are urban
neighborhoods and rural counties where as little as one-quarter of
the population has a broadband subscription, even when mobile is
included. As we build "smart" cities and communities, as economies
and jobs continue to experience rapid change, and as more
information and services migrate online, it is communities with
widespread broadband use that will be best positioned for inclusive
innovation, with the digital human capital to thrive.
If Barack Obama had not won in Iowa, most commentators believe
that he would not have been able to go on to capture the Democratic
nomination for president. "Why Iowa? "offers the definitive account
of those early weeks of the campaign season: from how the Iowa
caucuses work and what motivates the candidates' campaigns, to
participation and turnout, as well as the lingering effects that
the campaigning had on Iowa voters. Demonstrating how "what happens
in Iowa" truly reverberates throughout the country, five-time Iowa
precinct caucus chair David P. Redlawsk and his coauthors take us
on an inside tour of one of the most media-saturated and
speculated-about campaign events in American politics.
Considering whether a sequential primary system, in which early,
smaller states such as Iowa and New Hampshire have such a
tremendous impact is fair or beneficial to the country as a whole,
the authors here demonstrate that not only is the impact warranted,
but it also reveals a great deal about informational elements of
the campaigns. Contrary to conventional wisdom, this sequential
system does confer huge benefits on the nominating process while
Iowa's particularly well-designed caucus system--extensively
explored here for the first time--brings candidates' arguments,
strengths, and weaknesses into the open and under the media's
lens.
At one time or another, we all feel as if we are the only people
experiencing hardships and that no one understands what we are
going through. And yet we do not experience these struggles for no
purpose. Life is meant to be a changing experience. In "For Such a
Time as This: Sermons of Joy and Renewal," author Barbara Tolbert
explores this idea through a series of sermons.
Tolbert's experiences with the birth of her children and the
loss of her loved ones made her realize that life can be both hard
and sweet. She discovered that no matter what she
experienced-happiness, sadness, laughter, or tears-she was never
alone; God was continuously by her side. She began to reread and
meditate on His Word, and she paid more attention to the lives of
the people in the Bible. Knowing that she was not alone in her
struggles made her stronger and better equipped to endure what this
life had to offer.
In "For Such a Time as This: Sermons of Joy and Renewal,"
Tolbert explains that God allowed her to go through the difficult
times to strengthen her relationship with Him. We are not here for
ourselves, but to help encourage one another and revel in the good
deeds of God.
"In The Best Interest of the Child" is more than a book about a
woman helping her husband with Baby Mama Drama. The book addresses
personal challenges fathers face with the court system and "baby
mamas" while they fight for visitation and have their child's best
interest as a primary concern. "In The Best Interest of the Child"
communicates how some women take motherhood and some men take
fatherhood for granted, as others try to understand the purpose
behind their pain of losing a child or not being able to conceive
one. It deals with the emotional issues that men, women and their
families deal with, after having several miscarriages. "In The Best
Interest of the Child" explains how we, as men and women of God
have a responsibility to leave a positive legacy for our children;
even if we didn't give birth to them.
Just as education has promoted democracy and economic growth,
the Internet has the potential to benefit society as a whole.
Digital citizenship, or the ability to participate in society
online, promotes social inclusion. But statistics show that
significant segments of the population are still excluded from
digital citizenship. The authors of this book define digital
citizens as those who are online daily. By focusing on frequent
use, they reconceptualize debates about the digital divide to
include both the means and the skills to participate online. They
offer new evidence (drawn from recent national opinion surveys and
Current Population Surveys) that technology use matters for wages
and income, and for civic engagement and voting. Digital
Citizenship examines three aspects of participation in society
online: economic opportunity, democratic participation, and
inclusion in prevailing forms of communication. The authors find
that Internet use at work increases wages, with less-educated and
minority workers receiving the greatest benefit, and that Internet
use is significantly related to political participation, especially
among the young. The authors examine in detail the gaps in
technological access among minorities and the poor and predict that
this digital inequality is not likely to disappear in the near
future. Public policy, they argue, must address educational and
technological disparities if we are to achieve full participation
and citizenship in the twenty-first century. Karen Mossberger is
Associate Professor in the Graduate Program in Public
Administration, College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs,
University of Illinois at Chicago. Caroline J. Tolbert is Associate
Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University
of Iowa. She and Karen Mossberger are coauthors (with Mary
Stansbury) of Virtual Inequality: Beyond the Digital Divide. Ramona
S. McNeal is Visiting Assistant Professor in the Political Studies
Department at the University of Illinois at Springfield.
If Barack Obama had not won in Iowa, most commentators believe
that he would not have been able to go on to capture the Democratic
nomination for president. "Why Iowa? "offers the definitive account
of those early weeks of the campaign season: from how the Iowa
caucuses work and what motivates the candidates' campaigns, to
participation and turnout, as well as the lingering effects that
the campaigning had on Iowa voters. Demonstrating how "what happens
in Iowa" truly reverberates throughout the country, five-time Iowa
precinct caucus chair David P. Redlawsk and his coauthors take us
on an inside tour of one of the most media-saturated and
speculated-about campaign events in American politics.
Considering whether a sequential primary system, in which early,
smaller states such as Iowa and New Hampshire have such a
tremendous impact is fair or beneficial to the country as a whole,
the authors here demonstrate that not only is the impact warranted,
but it also reveals a great deal about informational elements of
the campaigns. Contrary to conventional wisdom, this sequential
system does confer huge benefits on the nominating process while
Iowa's particularly well-designed caucus system--extensively
explored here for the first time--brings candidates' arguments,
strengths, and weaknesses into the open and under the media's
lens.
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