Free US Law Dictionary
BETA
Elections
An election is a decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold formal office. This is the usual mechanism by which modern democracy fills offices in the legislature, sometimes in the executive and judiciary, and for regional and local government. This process is also used in many other private and business organizations, from clubs to voluntary associations and corporations. As Montesquieu pointed out in Book II, Chapter 2 of "The Spirit of Laws," in the case of elections in either a republic or a democracy, voters alternate between being the rulers of the country as well as being the subjects of the government. By the act of voting, the people operate in a sovereign (or ruling) capacity, acting as "masters" to select their government's "servants." The unique characteristic of democracies and republics is the recognition that the only legitimate source of power for a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people" is the consent of the governed—the people themselves.
The universal acceptance of elections as a tool for selecting representatives in modern democracies is in contrast with the practice in the democratic archetype, ancient Athens. Elections were considered an oligarchic institution and most political offices were filled using sortition, also known as allotment, by which officeholders were chosen by lot.
Electoral reform describes the process of introducing fair electoral systems where they are not in place, or improving the fairness or effectiveness of existing systems. Psephology is the study of results and other statistics relating to elections (especially with a view to predicting future results).
Elections Part of the Politics series- Allotment
- By-election
- Electoral fraud
- Show election
- Fixed-term election
- General election
- Primary election
- Indirect election
- Local election
- Referendum
- Apportionment
- Crossover voting
- Gerrymandering
- Redistricting
- Secret ballot
- Suffrage
- Political Party
- Voting
- Voting systems
- Elections by country
- Results by country
- Electoral calendar
WikiProject Political Parties
"Estonians could vote by mobile phones for the next Europarliament elections and local government elections in 2009 ..."
Here's the story, "Estonia could become the first country to allow mobile voting." I've heard this rumor from a variety of other sources as well...
What Elections Are Covered by the New California HOA Elections Law?
Here is a question about elections that is pretty straightforward.
"I have read and re-read the section on Election and Voting Procedures and can't find anything in the section that covers anything other than the election process...
Why Is There No Partisan Competition in City Council Elections? Implications 2 -- The Problems of Primary and Non-Partisan Elections:
If my model laid out in my paper is correct, it has dramatic implications for non-partisan elections and party primaries...
NRA elections
It's that time of year again, and Col. Brown has his endorsements. I'd agree with all of them. Steve Schreiner would be a great addition to the Board...
Elections Everywhere
With the U.S. media--and voters--so focused on our own Presidential race, it's easy to forget the elections going on all over the world...
When We Used to Bet on Elections
Check out this article from Slate.com about how we used to bet on elections…with bookies.
#1 Online Legal Resource
 |
|
Contact Us | About Us | Celebrity Law Blog |
Our Partners | Disclaimer
| Law Blog Directory
| Law Jobs
| Law Tweets
| GoDaddy Hosting
All original material © 1999-2009 by USLaw.com. |