Bush v. Gore : exposing the hidden crisis in American democracy / Charles L. Zelden.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 303-375) and index.

Preface: The Case That Must Be Named -- 1. A Vote Too Close to Call -- 2. Enter the Lawyers -- 3. Eye of the Beholder -- 4. The Battlefield of Litigation -- 5. The Ticking of the Clock -- 6. Ballots before the Bench -- 7. "A Florida Hurricane Heading to Washington" -- 8. Headfirst into the Political Thicket -- 9. A Self-Inflicted Wound? -- 10. The Unlearned Lessons of 2000 -- Afterword: The Process Matters -- Appendix 1. A Timeline of Events for the 2000 Presidential Election and Postelection Crisis -- Appendix 2. A Note on Methodology.

"The infamous 2000 presidential election produced hanging chads, butterfly ballots, endless recounts, raucous allegations, and a constitutional crisis - until a controversial Supreme Court decision allowed George W. Bush to become president despite losing the popular vote to Al Gore. Charles L. Zelden presents the definitive history of this vexing and acrimonious affair, offering the most complete, up-to-date, and accurate analysis of a remarkable episode in American politics. Zelden probes more deeply than any other scholar has sought to do - showing that both the election controversy of 2000 and Bush v. Gore signaled major flaws in our electoral system that remain with us today, exposing a hidden crisis in American democracy." "Zelden offers a nonpartisan analysis of the legal opinions in the case. particularly the Supreme Court's ruling; he explores the Judicial philosophy underlying the reasoning of each justice. His book invites readers to consider the case independently of their personal views of the candidates and reorients our view of the crisis to emphasize the failures of the system rather than the election of a president by apparent judicial decree. He sets all of these events, issues, and legal rulings within their proper historical context, making complex issues easy to understand and also reviewing events of the succeeding seven years in light of the decision."--BOOK JACKET.