[EL] And the best, most recent book on election law that I read was....

[Mark Schmitt]

I'm only about 2/3 of the way through, but I've totally enjoyed and learned
a lot from *On Democracy's Doorstep,* the recent book by Douglas A. Smith
about Baker v. Carr, Reynolds v. Sims and the other one-person, one-vote
cases. It's one of those good Supreme Court books that doesn't try to
create a breathless narrative, but still shows the ways in which
personalities, clerks, and happenstance affect the outcome. What now seems
like such an obvious principle (except for the U.S. Senate) was not at all
obvious at the time, and a lot of things had to line up to create
one-person, one-vote. It's also a reminder that, however outrageous current
redistricting schemes may be, not that long ago a significant number of
states had systems in which a majority of voters elected 30% or less of the
legislature.

I learned about the book from this list, so I'm pleased to recommend it
here.

Mark Schmitt
202/246-2350
gchat or Skype: schmitt.mark
twitter: mschmitt9


On Tue, Sep 2, 2014 at 5:41 PM, Schultz, David A. <dschultz at hamline.edu>
wrote:

>
> Hi all:
>
> I want to acknowledge the best election law book that I have read in some
> time. It is James Gardner’s WHAT ARE CAMPAIGNS FOR?
>
> Too often and too much of what goes on in the election law listserv is
> simply ego-driven self-promotion where we spend too much time promoting
> ourselves and our own scholarship, playing one-upmanship over another.
> However, we forget that the field of election law is not only about law and
> policy but it is an intellectual endeavor where we should be trying to
> learn from one another.  Rarely do I see any of us acknowledging others,
> saying that we have actually read their scholarship and that we have grown
> from it or learned something that we have not seen.  Instead if other are
> read I see too much in this listserv seeking to find fault with others and
> show why they are wrong.  Or worse, in a field (election law) where most of
> the scholarship is law review driven, for those of us who write books it is
> disheartening that too few read them.  I am reminded of a book by Ben
> Barber (one of my teachers) who in STRONG DEMOCRACY said that American
> democracy is noisy and full of talk but few listen.  To have a real
> conversation we all need to listen to what others say and take heart and
> mind of what they say.
>
> I say all of this because, as noted at the top of the e-mail, Gardner’s
> book is outstanding. Yes it is from 2009 but I finally read it and his
> arguments about deliberation, voting, and election law are really
> fascinating and worth reading.  He does a terrific job combining empirical
> political science with theory and law, something we need to do a better job
> as a discipline.
>
> I think it would be nice if others on this listserv spent a few minutes or
> posted an e-mail indicating the best or most interesting book they have
> read about election law recently and acknowledge the author for his or her
> work.  Yes I sound polly anyish (?) but sometimes it is ok to give a
> shameless promotion for someone else besides yourself.
>
> --
> David Schultz, Professor
> Editor, Journal of Public Affairs Education (JPAE)
> Hamline University
> Department of Political Science
> 1536 Hewitt Ave
> MS B 1805
> St. Paul, Minnesota 55104
> 651.523.2858 (voice)
> 651.523.3170 (fax)
> http://davidschultz.efoliomn.com/
> http://works.bepress.com/david_schultz/
> http://schultzstake.blogspot.com/
> Twitter:  @ProfDSchultz
> My latest book:  Election Law and Democratic Theory, Ashgate Publishing
> http://www.ashgate.com/isbn/9780754675433
> FacultyRow SuperProfessor, 2012, 2013
>
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>
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