Whose Vote Counts?

Democracy takes place when the silent find their voice, and when we begin to listen to what they have to say. --Lani Guinier, from the Foreword

In Whose Vote Counts?, Robert Richie and Steven Hill listen to what the silent are saying. They argue that we need a new way of electing our representatives to combat voter apathy and the leveling of political views. Such a system already exists in many parts of the world, including places in the United States: proportional representation. Leading activists respond in essays that illustrate what our country could look like if all qualified citizens became voters, and if they all felt their vote contributed to more than just the winning or losing tally.

The New Democracy Forum is a series of short paperback originals exploring creative solutions to our most urgent national concerns.The only reason we don't have proportional representation in the United States is that it hadn't been invented yet when the Constitution was written. But the Founding Fathers would have loved it. This book tells why-in language that's lively, accessible, provocative, and full of common sense. --Hendrik HertzbergRobert Richie and Steven Hill are executive director and western regional director, respectively, of the Center for Voting and Democracy, a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit organization that promotes reforms to increase fair representation and voter participation.