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PRAISE FOR
A SHORT HISTORY OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CRISES
“Hirsch does a very good job of offering historical context to illuminate the present—and the terrifying future. His imaginative proposals are probably too sensible to be implemented in an age of parochial partisanship.”
—David Shipler, Pulitzer Prize-winning former reporter for the New York Times
“Democracy is broken, but as Alan Hirsch explains, it really doesn’t have to be. This is the real story of how our voting system became so vulnerable to attacks from within and without, told with precision, verve, and even hope. This is the way out.”
—Douglas Rushkoff, author of Team Human
“This is a must-read for anyone who cares about safeguarding presidential elections—which should be everyone. Alan Hirsch illuminates and captivates as he unpacks our history of close and chaotic presidential elections occasioned by the Electoral College, and he masterfully develops the case for shifting to a national popular election. He then addresses contemporary technological threats to electoral legitimacy such as hacked elections or suppressed turnout, and offers a novel and provocative political (and, dare one say, nonpartisan) solution. The time to read this book and pay attention is now.”
—Evan Caminker, Professor and former Dean, University of Michigan Law School
PRAISE FOR IMPEACHING THE PRESIDENT BY ALAN HIRSCH
“Impeaching the President is lucid, balanced, and deeply informed. Anyone in search of a reasoned guide to the unreason of our current situation should read it.”
—Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Sixth Extinction
“Impeaching the President by Alan Hirsch is a masterpiece for the masses.”
—Ralph Nader
“In an era when the notion of impeachment is tossed around as the ultimate political indictment, Alan Hirsch guides us with a steady hand through our own history to consider the three presidents who faced that ultimate punishment. This is a sober, precise, and carefully argued analysis that should be read by every member of Congress—and every president.”
—David K. Shipler, Pulitzer Prize recipient and former reporter for the New York Times
“Alan Hirsch brings clarity, wisdom, and wit to a contentious and critical subject. Impeaching the President is must reading for all concerned citizens.”
—Howard Shapiro, former FBI General Counsel
“Incredibly readable, well-researched, analytically sound and important.”
—Alan B. Morrison, Associate Dean for Public Interest & Public Service at the George Washington Law School
“As the producer of The Forum in San Francisco, which strives to foster civil conversation on complex issues, I couldn’t have asked for a more mature, sophisticated, and fair look at impeachment, as Alan Hirsch provides in Impeaching the President: Past, Present, and Future. I can’t tell you how reassuring it is to find an adult voice on this issue, calmly and clearly breaking through all of the current bombast and posturing. Everyone who is concerned about the governance of our country should read this book.”
—Rebecca Nestle, Director of Cultural Programs, Grace Cathedral
“Absolutely enjoyed this one. The reader gets a hearty mix of American history, political intrigue, and constitutional law, all adhered with Hirsch’s amazing writing. He captures the political chaos surrounding each prior case, yanking the reader out of our present exceptionalism to see the evolution of impeachment with the proper context and clarity. We have been here before and will likely be here again many more times, he suggests, with increased frequency. Can’t recommend it enough.”
—Travis Cohen, Brookline Booksmith
PRAISE FOR FOR THE PEOPLE: WHAT THE CONSTITUTION REALLY SAYS ABOUT YOUR RIGHTS (BY ALAN HIRSCH AND AKHIL AMAR)
“A fascinating conversation over the future of our Constitution and our Bill of Rights.”
—Legal Times
“Consistent and contentious throughout, Amar and Hirsch offer an analysis that should threaten both liberals and conservatives with a commitment to popular sovereignty both [political strains] like to avoid.”
—Kirkus
“A healthy challenge to conventional wisdom, with significant implications for public policy.”
—Booklist
“Amar and Hirsch believe in the people . . . and they devote the most valuable part of their book to some useful reassurance against some of the boogeymen with which populism is often discredited.”
—New York Times
Copyright 2020 © by Alan Hirsch
All Rights Reserved.
Cover design by: Herb Thornby
Open Media Series Editor: Greg Ruggiero
ISBN: 978-0-87286-829-8
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Hirsch, Alan, 1959- author.
Title: A short history of presidential election crises : (and how to prevent the next one) / Alan Hirsch.
Description: San Francisco, CA : City Lights Books, 2020. | Series: Open Media series | Includes bibliographical references.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019054933 | ISBN 9780872868298 (trade paperback)
Subjects: LCSH: Presidents—United States—Election—History. | Elections—Security measures—United States. | Electoral college—United States.
Classification: LCC JK524 .H57 2020 | DDC 324.973—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019054933
City Lights Books are published at the City Lights Bookstore
261 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94133
CONTENTS
Near Crisis, Next Crisis: The Election of 2016 and Beyond
The Electoral College: A Recipe for Fraud and Chaos
A Constitutional Amendment for Handling Future Crises