The Cost of Voting in the American States

By: Michael J. Pomante II, Scot Schraufnagel, and Quan Li

Release date: Dec. 6, 2023

The book focuses on the evolution of the cost of voting in the American states. This book dives into the Cost Of Voting Index (COVI), specifically exploring the policies and events which have led to legislatures adopting more or less restrictive voting policies over time. Historically, the motivation for many voting restrictions is nativist sentiments accompanied by a perception of racial threat. Those in a dominant social position worry that minority groups, and new arrivals, threaten the status quo arrangements, which work to their advantage. Even more unattractively is the possibility that spite may be motivating some people in power. How dare the traditional underclass demand equal political footing and fairness? These sound like dated contentions, but recent experiences suggest that nativism is alive and well in the United States in the early decades of the 21st Century.

In the end, it isn't easy to prove racial motives or intent. However, we look empirically for racist outcomes. Does the difference in voting laws in the United States demobilize minority citizens? In other words, do voting restrictions disproportionately disadvantage some eligible voters more than others? The undereducated and renters are two groups who most obviously lose when voting processes are more complicated. If minority citizens are disproportionately undereducated and non-homeowners, there may be an indirect link between voting restrictions and minority demobilization. Therefore these modern-day policies may not be much different from poll taxes that disenfranchised the poor of any color in earlier eras.  Moreover, does a more restrictive electoral-institutional climate lead to the underrepresentation of Black and Latinx Americans in political office? What about women, another historically underrepresented group in the United States? Still, does the relative cost of voting in each American state have implications for the electoral success of minority candidates who run for statewide offices?  We answer these questions in this book. 

Corruption and Scandal 

in Congress

Edited by: Michael J. Pomante II

Contributors: Emily Beaulieu Bacchus (University of Kentucky)

                     Tiffany Barnes (University of Kentucky)

                     Casey Burgat (George Washington University)

                     April K. Clark (Northern Illinois University)

                     Jill Dunlap (DePaul University)

                     Katherine Hoss (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

                     David Jesuit (Central Michigan University)

                     Nicole Loring (Rivier University)

                     Collin Paschall (Johns Hopkins University)

                     Joseph Patten (Monmouth University)

                     Michael J. Pomante II (Jacksonville University)

                     Kaylar Recker (Northern Illinois University)

                     Gregory Saxton (Texas Tech)

                    

In Print Now

 The U.S. Congress can be traced to the founding and the debates in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787, but to suggest that the Congress in the first decade of the 21st century is the same Congress that was created over 220 years ago would be wildly misleading. The entries in this volume will elaborate on the original compromises and the ensuing evolution of legislative practice and review how Congress has developed through several distinctive eras.

This second edition of Historical Dictionary the U.S. Congress contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 500 cross-referenced entries on the key concepts, terms, labels, and individuals central to identifying and comprehending the key role Congress plays in the history of the U.S. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the U.S. Congress.

Purchase your copy with the link below.

Winner, Choice Outstanding Academic Title (2018)

Barack Obama, the first African-American president of the United States. In a country with a rich history of racial animosities, Obama represents a notable deviation in the trajectory of America’s presidential history. At the close of his second term in office, a survey of the personalities and events associated with his presidency is fitting. In this walk through recent history we will be keen to point out the president’s successes, failures, and challenges. Governing in a society ripe with ideological and partisan polarization, the Obama Administration was surrounded by controversy, much of it manufactured by his opponents but salient nonetheless. This volume will attempt to provide perspective and clarity on the most important individuals and experiences connected to Obama during his eight years in office, but also his early life. Information included in this volume also includes discussion of his transition out of office and events taking place at the beginning of the Donald Trump Administration.

This second edition of Historical Dictionary of the Barack Obama Administration contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 300 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, including the president, his advisors, his family, his opponents, and his critics, as well as members of Congress, military leaders, and international leaders. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Barack Obama. 

Purchase your copy with the link below.

Historical Dictionary of the Donald J. Trump Administration

By: Michael J. Pomante II and Austin Trantham

Expected: Late 2024