H.R. 4563, the American Confidence in Elections (ACE) Act, proposes substantial changes to federal election administration and campaign finance law. The following subsections summarize some of the major provisions of the ACE Act:
Congressional Digest. Dec2023, Vol. 102 Issue 10, p11-11. 1p. , Database: Points of View Reference Source; accessed August 29, 2024.
"Now I would submit to you that at the heart of campaign finance is a desire for accountability, (2) and in a democracy, we cannot have accountability without a certain degree of transparency. (3) If you look online, you can find a lot of information about people's political speech and their political expenditures and their contributions to candidates. (4) And whether you think this is a good or a bad thing usually depends on your prior notions about campaign finance. On the good side, having all of this data online really democratizes access. (5) It means that everyday citizens can look up who's giving money to their senator, to the candidates for president, to candidates for Congress, and it allows for the press to write their follow-the-money stories. On the downside, it could lead to harassment, (6) which is one of the things I want to focus on today. "
Torres-Spelliscy, Ciara. "Campaign Finance, Free Speech, and Boycotts." Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, Winter 2018, p. 153+. Gale OneFile: Business; accessed September 4, 2024.
The article discusses the commitment of the American Bar Association (ABA) to the protection of voting rights and public confidence in the U.S. elections. Topics explored include the advocacy of ABA for the safety of election workers and transparency of the electoral process, the support extended by ABA to the Democracy Restoration Act in 2023, and the digital tool created by ABA to help voters prepare for the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
Rawles, Lee. "Safeguarding Elections". ABA Journal. Aug/Sep2024, Vol. 110 Issue 4, p67-68. 2p. Academic Search Premier; accessed September 4, 2024.
The article discusses Project 2025, a document that outlines a strategy to reshape American democracy in favor of Trump and his allies. The document proposes various changes to government agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Federal Election Commission. These changes include eliminating election security measures, defunding public broadcasting, empowering media giants, and rendering the FEC ineffective. The article warns that these proposed changes could undermine democracy by suppressing votes, manipulating electoral rules, and giving Trump authoritarian power. It emphasizes the importance of raising awareness about this threat to democracy and preventing it from becoming a reality. [Extracted from the article]
Nichols, John. "The Great Dismantling". The Nation. Jun2024, Vol. 318 Issue 6, p32-33. 2p. MasterFILE Premier; accessed September 4, 2024.
"President Harry S. Truman, launching his 1948 election campaign on Labor Day in Detroit's Cadillac Square, had to cut an important part of his speech because his campaign did not have money to pay for enough minutes of national radio time. Two days before the election, Eleanor Roosevelt was able to broadcast a six-minute endorsement of Truman on ABC radio nationally only because a Democratic operative produced a shopping bag stuffed with $25,721 (ABC's price) in cash. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]"
Will, George F. "Finally, the end of campaign finance reform chatter", Washington Post, 5/18/2024. Regional Business News; accessed September 3, 2024.
The article presents an argument against the U.S. Electoral College by which the president is elected. It is suggested that the system is outdated and fundamentally flawed and is open to abuse. Information is presented on the election of electors, who actually vote for a candidate for president. The article also discusses the disadvantages of the Electoral College, such as the promotion of divisiveness between the states.
Rich, Alex K. Newton, Heather. Points of View: Electoral College. 05/17/2024, p1-6. 4p. Reading Level (Lexile): 1570. , Database: Points of View Reference Source; accessed September 4, 2024.
The article presents an argument in favor of the U.S. Electoral College as an essential element to presidential elections in the country. The system is considered as a way to guarantee that the country is a federal nation and not a divided confederation of competing states. The article also discusses the system for a republic, not a democracy that would allow the states to eliminate their differences and work together as a nation.
Bowman, Jeffrey DiLascio, Tracey M. Points of View: Electoral College. 05/17/2024, p1-5. 3p., Database: Points of View Reference Source; accessed September 4, 2024.
"Texas, Mississippi and Alabama have all passed laws since the 2020 election reining in what they call "harvesting" absentee ballots. The term generally refers to someone collecting absentee ballots for other voters, a practice that is common among voter mobilization efforts.
The new laws place restrictions on who can witness a person signing their absentee ballot, how many ballots a single person can witness, and who can return those ballots on behalf of the voters. Civil rights groups argue that this will disenfranchise voters who rely on help from strangers and friends to cast their ballots."
Mansfield, Erin. USA Today. 4/10/2024. Academic Search Premier; accessed September 4, 2024.
With less than six months before the 2024 presidential election, social media platforms risk once again helping to fuel election-related violence, a working group of experts warns. But there's still time to change that, they say. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
Oremus, Will. "How Social Media Platforms Can Avoid Fueling Another Jan. 6". Washington Post. 5/24/2024. Academic Search Premier; accessed September 4, 2024.
The Voter's Self-Defense System - Every candidate and elected official from President to local government can be accessed through the Voter's Self-Defense System. Information provided includes voting records, biography, issue positions, interest group ratings, public statements, and campaign finances.
A nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. They monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases. A project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.
Nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit, OpenSecrets is the nation's premier research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy. Our mission is to track the flow of money in American politics and provide the data and analysis to strengthen democracy.
Fact-checking journalism is the heart of PolitiFact. Our core principles are independence, transparency, fairness, thorough reporting and clear writing. The reason we publish is to give citizens the information they need to govern themselves in a democracy.
How to Spot Misinformation
In this special collaboration with NPR's Life Kit the NPR Politics team breaks down what misinformation is and how you can spot it. This episode: Congressional correspondent Susan Davis, political reporter Miles Parks, and national security editor Philip Ewing.
https://www.npr.org/2019/11/27/783293679/how-to-spot-misinformation; accessed February 25, 2020.
The NPR Politics Podcast
Every weekday, NPR's best political reporters are there to explain the big news coming out of Washington and the campaign trail. They don't just tell you what happened. They tell you why it matters. Every afternoon.
Political wonks - get wonkier with The NPR Politics Podcast+. Your subscription supports the podcast and unlocks a sponsor-free feed. Learn more at plus.npr.org/politics
https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510310/npr-politics-podcast; accessed September 13, 2024.
How the Modern Primary System has Shaped Our Politics
The way we choose our presidential candidates in the United States is unique among the world’s democracies. In other countries, party leadership often plays a much bigger role in choosing candidates. As we discussed in the first installment of The Primaries Project, the parties initially held a lot of power in nominating processes, but everything changed after the disastrous 1968 Democratic national convention in Chicago. Although somewhat unintended, the reforms following that convention created a candidate selection system more open to public input than ever before.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-the-modern-primary-system-has-shaped-our-politics/; accessed February 25, 2020.
How to Vote in an Election
In this special collaboration with NPR's Life Kit the NPR Politics team breaks down how to get ready for election day. This episode: Congressional correspondent Susan Davis, political reporter Miles Parks, and senior editor & correspondent Domenico Montanaro.
https://www.npr.org/2019/11/27/783296307/how-to-vote-in-an-election; accessed February 25, 2020.
Presidential Election Podcasts
A website that gathers links to many current high profile election podcasts such as FiveThirtyEight Politics, The Chuck ToddCast, State of the Union, NBC Meet the Press, Pantsuit Politics, and many others.
https://player.fm/podcasts/Presidential-Election; accessed September 13, 2024.
C-SPAN 2024 Campaign Trail | Podcasts
Up-to-date highlights from candidates' speeches, interviews with political insiders, the latest poll numbers, fundraising stats, and political ads each week. Listen as the campaign unfolds in every episode. A podcast of C-SPAN's weekly television program.
https://www.c-span.org/podcasts/subpage/?series=2024campaigntrail; accessed September 13, 2024.