Book Review
| Jurisdiction | United States,Federal |
| Citation | Vol. 26 No. 3 Pg. 0066 |
| Pages | 0066 |
| Publication year | 2020 |
The Fight to Vote
by Michael Waldman
373 pages, Simon & Schuster
REVIEWED BY ABBEY B. MORROW
The United States is an experiment in constitutional freedom, and in “The Fight to Vote,” author Michael Waldman defines the right to vote as a political issue, although on its face it appears to be a fundamental freedom. Indeed, Waldman notes “[t]he fight over the vote itself can be a form of check and balance.” The Framers thought little of voting rights, and their failure to enshrine this right for all in the Constitution has made it easier to deny in later years. To be fair, the right is implied, but it has taken five separate amendments to directly address universal suffrage: Amendment 15 (granting the right to African American men), Amendment 19 (women), Amendment 24 (the poor through the elimination of the poll tax) and Amendment 26 (the youth by lowering the age of majority to 18). Waldman artfully weaves statistics, Supreme Court decisions and constitutional amendments against the narrative of war, immigration, public sentiment and the ascendancy of American presidents. Although published in 2016, this historical review is particularly timely as the 2020 election is just barely in our rearview mirror.
The book is divided into four parts. Part one discusses the history of voting rights during the early years of the Founding; part two focuses on the Reconstruction Era, the passage of the 15th Amendment and the Gilded Age; part three analyzes voting rights and struggles during the 20th century; and part four addresses the 2000s from Bush v. Gore and Citizens United to Shelby v. Holder and the national climate leading up to the 2016 election. A central theme emerges: as people have sought to vote, others have fought to stop them.
Although published in 2016, this historical review is particularly timely as the 2020 election is just barely in our rearview mirror.
During the Founding, the 1778 Continental Congress focused on voting processes to limit corruption rather than concerning themselves with who was eligible. As a result, elections in early America were rife with bribery and intimidation. Consequently, on the eve of the Revolution only a small percentage voted of those who were eligible. Although the first century following America’s independence saw an expansion in the right to vote, this power has been eroded in subsequent decades following massive...
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