Republican Candidates Face New Hampshire Voters
On January 10, voters in the New Hampshire primary became the first Americans to cast secret ballots in the long race for the U.S. presidency.
When the votes were counted, Mitt Romney — a former governor of neighboring Massachusetts — had won, with nearly 40 percent of the vote. Ron Paul finished second with 23 percent [...]
Presidential Candidates Step Up Campaigns in Critical States
Even though the presidential election is still months away, candidates are working feverishly to win over voters in key states to gain an early edge in receiving their party’s nomination ahead of the November 6, 2012, national vote.
“Primaries and caucuses allow the ordinary American to influence the selection of a president and the policies that [...]
United States Condemns Burma’s Elections
President Obama says Burma’s parliamentary elections on November 7 were neither free nor fair and failed to meet any internationally accepted standards.
“The elections were based on a fundamentally flawed process and demonstrated the regime’s continued preference for repression and restriction over inclusion and transparency,” Obama said in a prepared statement November 7. He is on [...]
Midterms Show Voters Still Worried About Economy, Obama Says
Midterms Show Voters Still Worried About Economy, Obama Says
Reacting to the 2010 midterm elections November 2 that resulted in the Democratic Party losing control of the House of Representatives, slimming its majority in the Senate and losing some gubernatorial contests, President Obama said American voters had sent a message that they are frustrated with the [...]
On Election Day, U.S. Voters Find More than Candidates on Ballot
When American voters head to the polls November 2, many are not just selecting their future leaders. They are weighing in on a variety of issues, including how their taxes are spent or what rights their state constitutions guarantee.
Ballot measures, including initiatives and referendums, give voters an opportunity to enact or repeal laws, endorse [...]
Full Participation Expected in Iraqi Election
Ahead of Iraq’s March 5 elections, the U.S. ambassador to Baghdad expects broad Iraqi participation in the vote, which he said can help contribute to political reconciliation in the country. He also said the United States must work with Iraqis to build political and democratic institutions, modernize the country’s economy, and help it establish productive [...]
More than Elections: How Democracies Transfer Power
The 1960 presidential election was among the most closely fought in U.S. history. So close that supporters of Vice President Richard M. Nixon urged him to challenge the results. Nixon declined. “Even if we were to win in the end,” he explained, “the cost in world opinion and the effect on democracy in the broadest [...]
Ingredients of a Resilient Democracy
Democratic elections require more than the casting and counting of ballots. In a healthy democracy, elections hold governments accountable to the governed. This happens when:
• Citizens are free to select their political representatives.
• Citizens can choose among candidates seeking their support.
• Officeholders must be re-elected to retain their positions after a specified interval. They face [...]
The Lasting Impact of Digital Media on Civil Society
New information technologies are profoundly reshaping political culture. Twenty-first–century civil society relies upon the Internet and other communication devices for its infrastructure, and for a digital “safe harbor” in which civic conversations can incubate. This is especially true in countries where the national print and broadcast media are heavily censored. In short, technology has empowered [...]
How a Partially Free Election Altered Poland
The famous image of Hollywood star Gary Cooper from the 1952 western “High Noon” was used during the Polish elections of June 1989, with Cooper sporting a “Solidarity” badge in his lapel. But the true hero in the election, which brought down Poland’s Communist regime, was not a town sheriff killing the bad guys, but [...]
















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