Dennis F. Thompson

The 2000 election showed that the mechanics of voting such as ballot design, can make a critical difference in the accuracy and fairness of our elections. But as Dennis F. Thompson shows, even more fundamental issues must be addressed to insure that our electoral system is just. Thompson argues that three central democratic principles—equal respect, free choice, and popular sovereignty—underlie our electoral institutions, and should inform any assessment of the justice of elections. Although we may all endorse these principles in theory, Thompson shows that in practice we disagree about their meaning and application. He shows how they create conflicts among basic values across a broad spectrum of electoral controversies, from disagreements about term limits and primaries to disputes about recounts and presidential electors. To create a fair electoral system, Thompson argues, we must deliberate together about these principles and take greater control of the procedures that govern our elections. He demonstrates how applying the principles of justice to electoral practices can help us answer questions that our electoral system poses: Should race count in redistricting? Should the media call elections before the polls close? How should we limit the power of money in elections? Accessible and wide ranging, Just Elections masterfully weaves together the philosophical, legal, and political aspects of the electoral process. Anyone who wants to understand the deeper issues at stake in American elections and the consequences that follow them will need to read it. In answering these and other questions, Thompson examines the arguments thatcitizens and their representatives actually use in political forums, congressional debates and hearings, state legislative proceedings, and meetings of commissions and local councils. In addition, the book draws on a broad range of literature: democratic theory, including writings by Madison, Hamilton, and Tocqueville, and contemporary philosophers, as well as recent studies in political science, and work in election law.

Este análisis del dilema entre ética y política, define de una manera nueva la responsabilidad de los cargos públicos, situándola en la zona concreta del cumplimiento día a día de las obligaciones. Solo a partir de el, la democracia puede sostener de manera solidaria las contradicciones intrinsecas a todo sistema normativo.El tema de este estudio es el dilema entre etica y politica, al que conviene concebiren palabras del autorcomo un conflicto entre diferentes demandas que la etica misma hace a la politica ... El tipo de acciones exigido por los principios que rigen las relaciones morales en politica pueden violar los principios que guian toda relacion moral, incluida la politica. En funcion de sus deberes, los politicos pueden estar incluso obligados a mentir, romper sus promesas y manipular a los ciudadanos. La etica politica, tal como se presenta aqui, se opone, sin embargo, a la tendencia de negar la responsabilidad a las personas y de atribuirla a diversos colectivos.Para sostener esta tesis, Thompson redefine el concepto de responsabilidad personal bajo la luz del encuentro entre etica y politica.Los juicios politicos de los ciudadanos o bien son demasiado globales o se refieren a aspectos excesivamente personales de las personas que ejercen cargos publicos. Al mostrar la estrecha dependencia mutua entre etica y democracia, el autor define el verdadero ambito del enjuiciamiento responsable y necesario de la accion politica. En ejemplos reales de la politica actual, se pone de manifiesto la importancia de localizar en su momento preciso los dilemas morales en decisiones concretas y hasta en cuestiones aparentemente rutinarias. Solo al no tolerar las negligencias de normas y principios eticos en todos los niveles de responsabilidad, la dificil funcion de los cargos publicos se vuelve transparente y puede aspirar a la solidaridad ciudadana incluso en sus aspectos inevitablemente contradictorios.