"We the People": The Constitution, Our Vote & Election 2008 Part II

• Obstacles to A Vibrant Democracy
• Identifying & Addressing Needed Change

Special Guests:

• Alex Keyssar, Professor of History and Social Policy at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government
• Mark Crispin Miller, New York University Media Studies
• Professor David Earnhardt, Emmy-winning producer/director Voice of the Voters!

Wednesday, May 14, 8-9PM ET 1360 AM Greater Philadelphia & on the Internet www.voiceofthevoters.org (Archives and podcast available next week)

Professors Alex Keyssar and Mark Crispin Miller explore provocative questions as to whether our Democracy is becoming more or less healthy and vibrant .....and the challenges we must address.

* Have we been we heading in the right direction since 2000 or are matters growing more worrisome?

* What is our Constitutional Right to Vote and how does it effect our "Democracy"?

* What impact does the Constitution have on state regulatory/administration election processes and the "Party" system?

* What impact could procedural barriers like voter ID laws have on voter turnout and Party control?

* Is voter turnout a good measure of the health of our democracy? What would be?

* What changes are most needed, why?

* Where is the epicenter for change? What are key inhibitors?

In a separate segment: Filmmaker David Earnhardt has been on the road with his feature-length documentary UNCOUNTED. He'll tell us tales from the road and, more important, what has changed in the world of American elections since he made the film in 2006. If he were making the film today, what would he have to include?

Voice of the Voters! is hosted this week by Mary Ann Gould and Lori Rosolowsky.

Listeners can call in questions live at 856-227-1360 and submit questions in advance at the Voice of the Voters! Website. Internet. Access also at http://wnjc.duxpond.com/

Archived Voice of the Voters! programs can be found at www.voiceofthevoters.org

Guest Bios:

Alexander Keyssar is the Matthew W. Stirling Jr. Professor of History and Social Policy. An historian by training, he has specialized in the excavation of issues that have contemporary policy implications. His 1986 book, Out of Work: The First Century of Unemployment in Massachusetts, was awarded three scholarly prizes. His book, The Right to Vote: The Contested History of Democracy in the United States (2000), was named the best book in U.S. history by both the American Historical Association and the Historical Society; it was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the Los Angeles Times Book Award. Keyssar is coauthor of Inventing America, a text integrating the history of technology and science into the mainstream of American history, as well as coeditor of a series on Comparative and International Working-Class History. In 2004/5, Keyssar chaired the Social Science Research Council's National Research Commission on Voting and Elections. Keyssar's current research interests include election reform, the history of democracies, and the history of poverty.

Mark Crispin Miller's newest book is entitled Loser Take All: Election Fraud and the Subversion of Democracy 2000 - 2008. Miller is professor of media studies at New York University and the author of the book: Fooled Again, How the Right Stole the 2004 Elections. He is known for his writing on American media and for his activism on behalf of democratic media reform. His books include Boxed In: The Culture of TV, Seeing Through Movies, and Mad Scientists, a study of war propaganda. David Earnhardt, Producer/Director/Writer An Emmy-winning producer/director of 31 years, David has produced a wide range of television and video productions including documentaries, entertainment programs, and educational videos. His work has been recognized with numerous Emmy, Iris and Telly national awards. A national documentary on children's rights, a biographical documentary about jazz legend Helen Humes, and a comedy special featuring an up-and-coming Jay Leno are among Earnhardt's many credits.

After seventeen years in television, Earnhardt started a new phase of his career in 1993 with Earnhardt & Co., which has grown to be one of Nashville's most prestigious production companies. Originally co-founded by David and Patricia Earnhardt in 1993, the company specializes in high quality video presentations for a variety of nonprofit organizations. Longtime creative professional Mac Pirkle joined the firm as a partner in 2002 - and the company was soon after renamed Earnhardt Pirkle, Inc., acknowledging the strength of their partnership. Earnhardt Pirkle has produced projects for more than 250 clients and has won more than 60 national awards in its 14-year history. Mac Pirkle and Patricia Earnhardt are executive producers of UNCOUNTED.