Left With Few Rights

The first manuscript, "Left with Few Rights: Unequal Democracy in the District of Columbia," by Eli Zigas, examines the history of movements to gain democracy in DC since 1800, public opinion on the issue, and the interplay of the law, politics, and finances in the city's future. The study presents the first historical narratives of the push for the 1978 DC Voting Rights Amendment, the fight for statehood in the late 1980's and early 1990's, and the subsequent Control Board period. It also includes original research results from three focus groups conducted in Iowa in 2005 examining public opinion on the issue of Democracy in DC. The second manuscript, "Seat of Democracy or Home of Hypocrisy The Role of Race in the Struggle for District of Columbia Voting Rights," by Nell Schaffer, analyzes the history of the voting rights and home rule movements from a race perspective beginning after the Civil War.