Book Description

Elections A to Z is a highly respected legacy title that has long been a staple in the CQ Press reference list. It provides readers with ready reference insight into how campaigns and elections, the hallmark of any democracy, are conducted in the United States. The new fifth edition has been redesigned and updated with new entries covering the vital current elections topics that readers want to know about, especially given the focus on elections over the past year, and the resulting threat to American democracy. Entries range from short definitions of terms such as "at-large" and "front-runner" to in-depth essays exploring vital aspects of campaigns and elections, such as the right to vote, turnout trends, and the history, evolution, and current state of House, Senate, presidential, and some state-level elections. As with the prior edition, coverage will continue to entail the stages in the campaign process and the general election; the roles of political consultants, the media, and political parties; debates around term limits, majority-minority districts, and campaign finance; amendments, legislation, and court cases that have shaped electoral, campaign, and voting matters; voter turnout and voting rights in the United States; and highlights of presidential elections throughout U.S. history. Since the last edition published in 2012, there are many pertinent topics and events to explore from recent years, especially surrounding the 2020 elections. New to this edition will be entries discussing social media and communication, political and racial gerrymandering, districting and disenfranchisement, absentee and mail-in voting, new and revised state-by-state election and voter laws, foreign interference and misinformation campaigns, election-related violence, and minority and diverse group candidates and voter participation. Additionally, the book will address recent SCOTUS decisions that have impacted election law, including Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010), Arizona v. Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc. (2013), Shelby County, Alabama, v. Holder, Attorney General (2013), McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission (2014), Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (2015), Harris v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (2016), Husted, Ohio Secretary of State v. A. Philip Randolph Institute (2018), Minnesota Voters Alliance v. Mansky (2018), Gill v. Whitford (2018), Abbott, Governor of Texas v. Perez (2018), Virginia House of Delegates v. Bethune-Hill (2019), Rucho v. Common Cause (2019), Colorado Department of State v. Baca (2020), Chiafalo v. Washington (2020), and Texas v. Pennsylvania (2020). The proposed update to Elections A to Z will reflect these changes as it captures an undergraduate-level audience that understands the basics of campaigns and elections but is seeking an understanding of related topics, trends, and current events.