The Battle for Florida: An Annotated Compendium of Materials from the 2000 Presidential Election - Hardcover

Dehaven-Smith, Lance

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0813028191 ISBN 13: 9780813028194

Publisher: University Press of Florida, 2005

Synopsis

The Battle for Florida combines an analysis of the disputed 2000 presidential election with a broad array of supporting materials, including legal documents and transcripts, government reports, state and federal legislation, and more. DeHaven-Smith addresses troubling questions about American democracy raised by the election in Florida and argues that the true outcome of the election could have been determined despite the controversy, if the laws of the state had been interpreted reasonably and administered in good faith. The derailing of the election system by partisan intrigue is only one of several failures he examines in this concise, readable guide to the events and documents of the 2000 controversy.Drawing on classical political philosophy and modern democratic theory, deHaven-Smith traces the election breakdown to partisanship in the system of election administration, flaws in the U.S. Constitution, and weaknesses in the nation’s civic culture. His account of the election and its aftermath provides a closely documented analysis of what happened in Florida and a discussion of critical importance to public officials, election activists, scholars of the presidency, and students of African-American and minority politics.  

About this title

Book Description

“An unusual and potentially very valuable piece on the 2000 election. It is much more thorough than some of the materials which have been published . . . certainly the inclusion of so many documents raises the project to a level above any other book-length project I have seen to date.”—Richard K. Scher, University of Florida The Battle for Florida combines an analysis of the disputed 2000 presidential election with a broad array of supporting materials, including legal documents and transcripts, government reports, state and federal legislation, and more. DeHaven-Smith addresses troubling questions about American democracy raised by the election in Florida and argues that the true outcome of the election could have been determined despite the controversy, if the laws of the state had been interpreted reasonably and administered in good faith. The derailing of the election system by partisan intrigue is only one of several failures he examines in this concise, readable guide to the events and documents of the 2000 controversy.Drawing on classical political philosophy and modern democratic theory, deHaven-Smith traces the election breakdown to partisanship in the system of election administration, flaws in the U.S. Constitution, and weaknesses in the nation’s civic culture. His account of the election and its aftermath provides a closely documented analysis of what happened in Florida and a discussion of critical importance to public officials, election activists, scholars of the presidency, and students of African-American and minority politics. 

About the Author

Lance deHaven-Smith is professor of public policy at the Reubin O'D. Askew School of Public Administration and Policy at Florida State University and author of The Florida Voter and Environmental Concern in Florida and the Nation (UPF).

Edition details

• Publisher: University Press of Florida
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0813028191
• ISBN 13: 9780813028194
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352