Author Archives: Mark Joslyn

Elections: Engines of government power

We typically consider elections as accountability devices, the time when people can rebuke those in power and replace them with someone else. The people ultimately decide. Less understood, elections are important instruments of government power and authority. In fact the chief reason elections exist at all is because they benefit governments. This interpretation allows us to think more clearly about the role of democratic institutions and citizen participation.

Securing the right to vote – it’s not about protest, equity, and fairness. It’s about War.

Typically we think about the right to vote as something won – something gained through protest and persistent pressure on government. Turns out, that is only a small part of the story. This post details the rest of the story.