This op-ed by ERN Board Members Larry Garber and Edward McMahon originally appeared on The Hill. The power of the more than 200-year-old American model of democracy has encouraged people across the globe to fight for their rights and freedoms, often in the face of brutal authoritarians. We have personally seen the impact of U.S….
This post originally appeared in The Fulcrum. It has become clearer to Americans than ever before that the Electoral College is archaic and represents a threat to our democracy — and needs to be significantly altered if not abolished. But what’s the best way forward? Relying on electoral votes is cumbersome and can be so…
Written by Edward R. McMahon, ERN Board Vice Chair A wide variety of election management models, all of which are supposed to ensure legitimate elections, exist throughout the democratic world. It is normal that countries will choose different ways of conducting elections, as countries are in a sense, like snowflakes – no two ones are…
SKINNING THE DEMOCRATIC CAT We Americans find our ourselves today in a crisis of democracy. Our institutions don’t seem to work. They produce polarizing results. Gridlock and political stasis are prevalent. Visions of the future are bleak, featuring continued and increased stressing of our democratic institutions and traditions until they risk reaching the breaking point….
GUARDING THE HENHOUSE: WHO SHOULD DRAW CREDIBLE ELECTION BOUNDARIES? Edward R. McMahon, Ed.D Adjunct Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Vermont Vice Chair, Election Reformers Network A hot item on the current political reform agenda in this country concerns the redrawing of the boundaries that define congressional districts. This constitutionally-mandated process typically occurs every…
