Fixing Elections

Author Steven Hill discussed his book, Fixing Elections: The Failure of America’s Winner Take All Politics, published by Routledge. In it, he explores the various ways in which local and presidential elections are fixed. He lectures that in the redistricting process, our “winner take all” voting system is a geographic two party system that leaves out both the voter and their issues. In regards to presidential elections, he explains the importance of the swing voter who he defines as the individual who is not interested in politics, knows the least about politics, and is least likely to vote. He predicts that America is headed towards a post-democratic future where there will still be elections, but the issues will no longer speak to the swing voters. He argues that the problem with the “winner take all” political system is not with the politicians, but with the incentives in the system as a whole. After his remarks he answered audience questions. close