Fair and Effective Representation?

Two experts on political representation, voting rights, and the election process debate the most pertinent issues of electoral reform and assess them in the context of the Founders' vision of representation and minority rights. Mark E. Rush and Richard L. Engstrom discuss the promises and pitfalls of electoral reform--specifically, the merits of converting from the traditional single-member district to some form of proportional representation. The authors examine the shortcomings of the existing methods of elections (such as gerrymandering, low turnout, voter apathy, and underrepresentation of minorities and women), debate the merits of converting to proportional representation, ask whether it would address the imperfections of the current system, and investigate the extent to which proportional representation adheres to the Founders' (particularly Madison's) plan for representation. With an introduction by esteemed political scientist Bruce E. Cain, this is an essential text for courses in voting rights and behavior, elections, and American political thought.

Mark E. Rush is associate professor of politics at Washington and Lee University. He is author of Does Redistricting Make a Difference? (Johns Hopkins) and the editor of Voting Rights and Redistricting in the United States. Richard L. Engstrom is professor of political science at the University of New Orleans. Bruce E. Cain is professor of political science at University of California, Berkeley.