Christian Grose meant to send this to the entire list serv, and asked
that I do so.

-----Original Message-----
From: Christian Grose [mailto:christian.grose@lawrence.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2005 1:51 PM
To: Lloyd Mayer
Subject: Re: NY Times and Felons



Lloyd and others following this thread on felon disfranchisement:

A number of scholars have found that enacting MORE RESTRICTIVE felon
disfranchisement laws are connected to explanations of racial threat and

to dilute the strength of black voting power.  V.O. Key (1949) in
_Southern Politics_ includes felon disfranchisement in his list of
disfranchising mechanisms used in the South to keep blacks from voting.
  Alex Keyssar's book _The Right to Vote_ argues similarly.  Angela
Behrens, Chris Uggen, and Jeff Manza find that the greater the perceived

racial threat by whites, the more likely restrictive felon
disfranchisement laws are enacted during the period 1850 to 2002 in an
article in the _American Journal of Sociology_ (published in 2003?).

In recent years, however, states that have enacted LESS RESTRICTIVE
felon disfranchisement laws (e.g., removing barriers by getting rid of
ex-felon disfranchisement but retaining felon disfranchisement) have
done so due to partisan considerations, and racial threat does not
appear to be an explanation.  Antoine Yoshinaka and I have examined the
enactment of less restrictive felon disfranchisement policies in the
U.S. states from 1960-1999.

For those interested, here's a link to my article with Antoine Yoshinaka

on this subject:

http://www.lawrence.edu/fast/grosec/Yoshinaka_Grose_State_Felon_Policy_C
hange.pdf

Christian Grose

--
Christian Grose
Lawrence University
Department of Government
208 Briggs Hall
Box 599
Appleton, WI 54912-0599
920-993-6273
christian.grose@lawrence.edu http://www.lawrence.edu/fast/grosec

Lloyd Mayer wrote:

Jonathan Gass wrote:

"As Frank Askin pointed out, felon disenfranchisement in operation
dilutes black voting (which, from my admittedly fragmentary knowledge
of the reasons why felon disenfranchisement laws were adopted in the
first place, is hardly coincidental)."

Has anyone studied the degree to which felon disenfranchisement laws
were adopted in order to dilute black or other minority voting?

Lloyd H. Mayer
Caplin & Drysdale, Chartered
One Thomas Circle, NW, Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20005
tel: 202-862-5056; fax: 202-429-3301
lhm@capdale.com; www.caplindrysdale.com



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This message is for the use of the intended recipient only.  It is
from a law firm and may contain information that is privileged and
confidential.  If you are not the intended recipient any disclosure,
copying, future distribution, or use of this communication is
prohibited.  If you have received this communication in error, please
advise us by return e-mail, or if you have received this communication
by fax advise us by telephone and delete/destroy the document.