Date of Presentation
1-16-2015
Name of Conference
Southern Political Science Association
Date of Conference
1-2015
Location of Conference
New Orleans, louisiana
Document Type
Conference Presentation
Department
Political Science and Public Administration
Abstract
This paper examines and critiques legal arguments supporting and opposing felon disenfranchisement laws. It reexamines Richardson v Ramerez, the Supreme Court decision upholding the constitutionality of state laws that deny voting rights to voting aged cities with felony convictions. It summarizes the literature on case law, legal theory, democratic theory and comparative governments related to voting rights and felon disenfranchisement. It presents a typology of different levels of felon disenfranchisement practice. It concludes that the arguments supporting the more severe practices of felon disenfranchisement tend to focus on the 14th amendment while ignoring the 15th amendment; tend to trivialize the substantial racially disparate impacts; tend to disregard the fact that most democratic countries eschew this practice; and tend to deny voting as a fundamental right.
Recommended Citation
Carter A. Wilson and Ruth Watry, "Felony Disenfranchisement: A Literature Review." Paper presented at the Southern Political Science Association Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana, January 2015.