History of Voting

What are the voting behaviors of the various minority groups in the United States and how will they shape the elections of tomorrow? This book explores the history of minority voting blocs and their influence on future American elections. According to current scholarship, the Caucasian population of the United States is expected to be a minority by 2042. As the white majority disappears and politics shift with the changing tide, it is important to understand the voting behaviors of the significant minority voting blocs in the United States. In this book, a variety of voting blocs are examined: African Americans, women, Native Americans, Latinos (Mexicans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans), South Asians (Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis), East Asians (Chinese, Japanese, Koreans), Filipinos, Pacific Islanders, Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, Jewish Americans, and the LGBT community. In addition to factual and historical information about the minority voting blocs, chapters also explore how Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, felon disenfranchisement laws, and voter ID laws impact a minority group's voting rights. Finally, the authors and contributors anticipate which issues are likely to influence each group's voters and affect future elections. Provides a thorough analysis of the most prominent minority voting blocks in the United States in an accessible, easy-to-understand format Uses the most current scholarship available to provide a resource for students, journalists, and scholars to examine election trends Offers the reader a wealth of background and historical information Includes a comprehensive bibliography for additional reading Delves into topics that will impact future elections

Traces the influences of lesbian, gay and bisexual voters in American elections In the half century since the Stonewall riots in New York City's Greenwich Village launched the national gay-rights movement in earnest, LGB voters have steadily expanded their political influence. The Lavender Vote is the first full- length examination of lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals as a factor in American elections. Mark Hertzog here describes the differences in demographics, attitudes, and voting behavior between self-identified bisexuals and homosexuals and the rest of the voting population. He shows that lavender self-identifiers comprise a distinctive voting bloc equal in numbers to Latino voters, more liberal across the board on domestic social issues (though not necessarily on economic or national security issues) than non-gay voters, and extremely unified in high-salience elections. Further, lavender voters, contrary to popular belief, are up for grabs between the two major parties. Offering a clear and thorough explanation of LGB voting tendencies, this volume will be must-reading for elected officials, candidates for office, and all those interested in learning about LGB voters.

Same-sex marriage emerged in 2004 as one of the hottest issues of the campaign season. But in a severe blow to gay rights advocates, all eleven states that had the issue on the ballot passed amendments banning the practice, and the subject soon dropped off the media's radar. This pattern of waxing and waning in the public eye has characterized the debate over same-sex marriage since 1996 and the passing of the Defense of Marriage Act. Since then, court rulings and local legislatures have kept the issue alive in the political sphere, and conservatives and gay rights advocates have made the issue a key battlefield in the culture wars. The Politics of Same-Sex Marriage brings together an esteemed list of scholars to explore all facets of this heated issue, including the ideologies and strategies on both sides of the argument, the public's response, the use of the issue in political campaigns, and how same-sex marriage fits into the broad context of policy cycles and windows of political opportunity. With comprehensive coverage from a variety of different approaches, this volume will be a vital sourcebook for activists, politicians, and scholars alike.

Using the sociological imagination to explore gender relations throughout the world, Gendered Worlds looks at how concrete forms of gender, race, class, and sexual inequality operate transnationally; examines the impact of globalization on local and everyday life experiences; and identifieshow local actors re-imagine social possibilities, resist injustice, and work toward change.