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Citizen Action

Democracy in the developing world: The role of economic growth, social capital and crime

Source: JournalistsResource.org

Many societies that feature democratic forms of governance on the surface suffer from a variety of ills that can chip away at citizens’ trust in their current form of government. Corruption, crime and bribery plague much of the developing world. But precisely which factors are essential to the growth and continued prosperity of democratic institutions is a longstanding debate in the social sciences.

Voting problems, polling places and the private act of voting

Source: JournalistsResource.org

In response to the controversial 2000 U.S. presidential election, Congress passed the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) two years later. Among its provisions was financial assistance to enable states to replace traditional voting machines — including those responsible for Florida’s notorious “hanging chads” — with direct-recording electronic (DRE) devices intended to be more accurate and secure.

Making the news: Movement organizations, media attention and the public agenda

Source: JournalistsResource.org

One strategy of social movement groups has been to leverage local media coverage of events in order to advance public opinion and debate around that particular organization’s focal issue. However, not all social advocacy organizations are created equal, and seemingly similar groups can inspire more media attention than their peers. What, then, are the attributes that set one organization apart from the pack when it comes to garnering increased media exposure?