Locked Out: Felon Disenfranchisement and American Democracy (Studies in Crime and Public Policy) [Hardcover]

Jeff Manza (Author), Christopher Uggen (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195149327 | ISBN-13: 978-0195149326 | Publication Date: March 30, 2006

5.4 million Americans--1 in every 40 voting age adults-- are denied the right to participate in democratic elections because of a past or current felony conviction. In several American states, 1 in 4 black men cannot vote due to a felony conviction. In a country that prides itself on universal suffrage, how did the United States come to deny a voice to such a large percentage of its citizenry? What are the consequences of large-scale disenfranchisement--both for election outcomes, and for public policy more generally? Locked Out exposes one of the most important, yet little known, threats to the health of American democracy today. It reveals the centrality of racial factors in the origins of these laws, and their impact on politics today. Marshalling the first real empirical evidence on the issue to make a case for reform, the authors' path-breaking analysis will inform all future policy and political debates on the laws governing the political rights of criminals.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Mr. Manza and Mr. Uggen... wade into one of the most contested empirical debates in political science: How many (if any) recent American elections would have gone differently if all former felons had been allowed to vote?"--The Chronicle of Higher Education

"Few issues undermine the legitimacy of democratic systems more than the disenfranchisement of ex-felons from voting. In Locked Out, Manza and Uggen examine the legal, political, and social-historical context of this peculiarly American dilemma. The book is masterful, a must-read for those who seek answers to why and how felon disenfranchisement exists and what can be done to hasten its demise."--Robert J. Sampson, co-author of Shared Beginnings, Divergent Lives

"This is an important book. Energetically researched and clearly written, Locked Out is a major contribution to public debate about the vexed issue of felon disfranchisement. It sheds light into one of the dark corners of American political life, suggesting that the exclusion of millions of felons and ex-felons remains a significant shortcoming of our democracy."--Alex Keyssar, author of Right to Vote

"Locked Out's carefully researched argument for changing our thinking on felon disenfranchisement is also a powerful blueprint for realigning state election laws to match our country's deep democratic faith."--Lani Guinier, co-author of The Miner's Canary

"The United States stands out among all nations in the world for the large numbers of people it incarcerates, and for then stripping them of the right to vote, sometimes for life. In this brilliant and timely book Manza and Uggen probe the roots of this phenomenon in American history, especially our racial history, and they show us how felon disenfranchisement continues to distort American democracy, and to influence electoral outcomes."--Frances Fox Piven, author of Why Americans Still Don't Vote, And Why Politicians Want It That Way

About the Author

Jeff Manza is Professor of Sociology at New York University. Christopher Uggen is Distinguished McKnight Professor of Sociology at the University of Minnesota.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (March 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195149327
• ISBN-13: 978-0195149326
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #630,448 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Activists, Rise Up!, January 30, 2009

By 

Jeffery Mingo (Homewood, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Locked Out: Felon Disenfranchisement and American Democracy (Studies in Crime and Public Policy) (Hardcover)

The right to vote is mentioned and praised so much in the American press and social studies classes that many people don't know that a whole mess of states don't allow those who have served time to vote. This book is an almost exhaustive look at this issue. It will help many to sharpen their arguments and help others to become active on this social justice issue.
I really imagine that the authors must have read Lani Guinier's "The Miner's Canary." In that book, she posits that issues of race oftentimes flag issues that will or could affect people of all ethnicities. She uses an analogy to suggest how anti-racist activism can be done without scaring those who would dismiss matters as Black-only. The growing activism around fighting the death penalty is one movement that speaks of racial oppression, but also shows how everyone could be affected. The authors here speak about how disenfranchisement hurts everyone, but they also mention how it has disproportionately hurt African-American males. This book is both a Black text and not a Black text; multiple readerships would find this discussion interesting.
The authors highlight something very important: those who support disenfranchisement usually keep their heads low in maintaining the status quo. Politicians and everyday people may yell about being "tough on crime," but you rarely hear people being out about wanting to prevent ex-convicts from voting. Since it's on the books, they don't have to lift a finger; it's the progressives on the other side that must exert energy on this matter. Remember when Rosie O'Donnell came out on TV and only one Florida legislator would admit to supporting the homophobic ban in adoptions in that state? I've read myriad books that challenge homophobia in the military, but I've only seen one book where an author supported that mess. This shady dynamic should really rile us activists up.
This book reminded me of William Julius Williams' texts in which he juggles with several studies; this book is not focused on just one set of statistics per chapter. Following the statistical paper trail can be difficult, but I strongly believe that readers outside of university settings could also understand most of this text.
Maybe I missed it, but there is one thing that concerns me. This book speaks about the anti-Black origins of disenfranchisement laws, but it goes on to mention two states that have those laws that are heavily Black: Maryland and Delaware. If this issue is something for which activist Blacks are very aware, why haven't they pushed politicians in these states, many of whom are Black too, to reverse these laws?! I am Black myself, but I did wonder why haven't Blacks in this states dropped those laws.