Political analyst Steven Hill discusses his new book,
"Fixing Elections: The Failure of America's Winner-Take-All
Politics," at Cambridge Forum on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 7:30 p.m. at
First Parish, 3 Church St., Harvard Square. A book-signing will
follow the program.
A study completed in 2000 found that the last four decades of the 20th century have seen the lowest levels of voter turnout in the nation's history. Among the explanations for this were the public's distaste for modern campaign techniques, the front-loaded system of nominating candidates, and the Electoral College that renders non-swing states irrelevant in deciding elections.
Hill believes that the root of our political failures is our winner-take-all electoral system. In his new book, he shows why the Electoral College is an antiquated system in desperate need of overhaul, and proposes reasonable, proven solutions for change based on European political models.
He is senior analyst for the Center for Voting and Democracy in Washington, D.C. His analyses and commentaries have been published in dozens of magazines and journals, including the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, and The Nation. Previously, he co-authored "Reflecting All of Us."
Cambridge Forums are free and open to the public. Open discussion follows speaker presentation. Events are taped and edited for public radio broadcast throughout the nation. Edited cassettes are available by calling 617-495-2727. Select forums can be viewed in their entirety on demand by visiting www.cambridgeforum.org and clicking on the WGBH Forum Network.
A study completed in 2000 found that the last four decades of the 20th century have seen the lowest levels of voter turnout in the nation's history. Among the explanations for this were the public's distaste for modern campaign techniques, the front-loaded system of nominating candidates, and the Electoral College that renders non-swing states irrelevant in deciding elections.
Hill believes that the root of our political failures is our winner-take-all electoral system. In his new book, he shows why the Electoral College is an antiquated system in desperate need of overhaul, and proposes reasonable, proven solutions for change based on European political models.
He is senior analyst for the Center for Voting and Democracy in Washington, D.C. His analyses and commentaries have been published in dozens of magazines and journals, including the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, and The Nation. Previously, he co-authored "Reflecting All of Us."
Cambridge Forums are free and open to the public. Open discussion follows speaker presentation. Events are taped and edited for public radio broadcast throughout the nation. Edited cassettes are available by calling 617-495-2727. Select forums can be viewed in their entirety on demand by visiting www.cambridgeforum.org and clicking on the WGBH Forum Network.
Election Day '09 was a roller-coaster for election reformers. Instant runoff voting had a great night in Minnesota, where St. Paul voters chose to implement IRV for its city elections, and Minneapolis voters used IRV for the first time—with local media touting it as a big success. As the Star-Tribune noted in endorsing IRV for St. Paul, Tuesday’s elections give the Twin Cities a chance to show the whole state of Minnesota the benefits of adopting IRV. There were disappointments in Lowell and Pierce County too, but high-profile multi-candidate races in New Jersey and New York keep policymakers focused on ways to reform elections; the Baltimore Sun and Miami Herald were among many newspapers publishing commentary from FairVote board member and former presidential candidate John Anderson on how IRV can mitigate the problems of plurality elections.