Election expert Andrew Reynolds has traveled the world designing and evaluating political systems for their faithfulness to democratic principles. He is a professor of political science at the University of North Carolina. Based on international standards, North Carolina is no longer a democracy. He ranks it alongside non-democratic nations like Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran.
He writes:
“That North Carolina can no longer call its elections democratic is shocking enough, but our democratic decline goes beyond what happens at election time. The most respected measures of democracy — Freedom House, POLITY and the Varieties of Democracy project — all assess the degree to which the exercise of power depends on the will of the people: That is, governance is not arbitrary, it follows established rules and is based on popular legitimacy.
“The extent to which North Carolina now breaches these principles means our state government can no longer be classified as a full democracy.
“First, legislative power does not depend on the votes of the people. One party wins just half the votes but 100 percent of the power. The GOP has a huge legislative majority giving it absolute veto-proof control with that tiny advantage in the popular vote. The other party wins just a handful of votes less and 0 percent of the legislative power. This is above and beyond the way in which state legislators are detached from democratic accountability as a result of the rigged district boundaries. They are beholden to their party bosses, not the voters. Seventy-six of the 170 (45 percent) incumbent state legislators were not even opposed by the other party in the general election.
“Second, democracies do not limit their citizens’ rights on the basis of their born identities. However, this is exactly what the North Carolina legislature did through House Bill 2 (there are an estimated 38,000 transgender Tar Heels), targeted attempts to reduce African-American and Latino access to the vote and pernicious laws to constrain the ability of women to act as autonomous citizens.
“Third, government in North Carolina has become arbitrary and detached from popular will. When, in response to losing the governorship, one party uses its legislative dominance to take away significant executive power, it is a direct attack upon the separation of powers that defines American democracy. When a wounded legislative leadership, and a lame-duck executive, force through draconian changes with no time for robust review and debate it leaves Carolina no better than the authoritarian regimes we look down upon.”
Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/op-ed/article122593759.html#storylink=cpy
Diane Ravitch's blog 
This article might be one of the best, most concise analyses of a political process I’ve ever read. Thank you Diane for posting it. It provides a template on how to frame our arguments in the national debacle we are now living through.
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I guess that the author is fairly young. He would have to be because I am not able to find a similar description of when democrats were in the same position not too long ago and pulled some of the same tricks.
I guess he is too young also to have written a similar piece about the national political outcome in 2008 when the new president had a majority in both houses and pushed through legislation that the opposition never got to read – unless they voted for it first.
Presidents are elected usually based on about 25% of the eligible voters, so that is a minority. Some of the characteristics he uses to describe loss of democracy have existed nationally on a regular basis. When Obama was elected, ONE party hade 100% of the power, the other none. It happens often. The same situation exist in states like cKifornia and Illinois, for example. Democrats 100%, republicans 0.
I guess that is acceptable to the author because he is a Democrat??
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Rudy, I believe the author is an elections expert and you are not.
It is not customary for the losing party to strip the winners of their powers before they take office.
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It makes no difference who is the expert of the expert has a one-sided approach to reality.
The reality is that, using your expert’s methodology, the same thing has existed for decades nationally. It has existed for decades in California and Illinois.
To leave out similar situations your expert agrees with makes him a biased expert. And that makes him less than an expert.
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Rudy,
You are wrong. The legislatures of other states have not stripped away the powers of the governor who was coming into office. That is anti-democratic. It is wrong. These Tea Party people are a disgrace.
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And all I asked you for was your evidence. That’s not bashing you or threatening you in the least. I was actually pretty nice about it. I can get sarcastic, so I double checked my post. It wasn’t at all sarcastic. It’s simply what I, as a debate teacher, would ask my students. No one should be able to make claims out of thin air.
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When my debate students make claims like that Rudy, they have to prove their claims with evidence. And correctly cite that evidence.
So, what’s your evidence and citation, Rudy? I’m only expecting from you what I expect from my 8th graders.
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I posted the teference to an article in the Washington post a few days ago.
So, as I teach my ADULT students, do your own research.
You deny the proposition, so it is up to you to find contradicting evidence.
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Threatened, I think that Rudy is saying he doesn’t have any evidence, so you go find the evidence.
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No, Diane, you did not post my response with the reference to the Washington post article, which gave a detailed explanation about the historical background of what is currently happening in North Carolina. I even copied a part of that article.
So the evidence is there – but you would not allow it to be posted.
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You probably insulted me and I deleted it
You can post it again
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I don’t insult people. I may be somewhat sarcastic, but insults I leave to others.
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Rudy,
You have frequently insulted me, questioning my intelligence and ability to read. That’s why I delete many of your comments. Also repetitive
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And threatened??? Not in the least – Unlike some posters, who think they need to do so anonymously.
To me, that’s a sign of feeling threatened, that you do not have the courage to sign your own name to your posted opinions.
It seems the only way they feel safe enough to insult others in a public forum.
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Dude. I would give you my name, but I am being threatened with my position and even my license. Nice try.
I tell my students that I should NOT be the one to have to research THEIR claims. You make a claim, you give the evidence and citation. End of story.
My 8th graders learn this faster than apparently you do. Just give me the link, and then let me make my own decisions on its validity.
You can’t give me the link? You can’t defend your claim. You lose the debate.
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Guess you missed the part about the responsibility of the denying participant…
Anyway:
Politico
According to a News & Observer report, Alan McSurely, an attorney with the North Carolina NAACP, and Dallas Woodhouse, executive director of the state GOP, traded barbs when Woodhouse crashed the conference.
McSurely said the event was “the first meeting he’s [Woodhouse] been in in the last two or three days that wasn’t composed of all white people.” But Woodhouse clearly had enough and cut off McSurely as the attorney began to attack the Legislature’s actions.
“Hey, Alan, since you’re calling me out, what about when [former Gov.] Jim Hunt tried to fire all the Republicans in the Christmas massacre?” Woodhouse said. “What about the Democrats stripping the lieutenant governor, a Republican, of all his power? Was that right? I’m just curious. Or stripping [former Republican Gov.] Jim Martin of his hiring authority?”
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North Carolina’s jarring GOP power grab feels familiar – The Washington Post
Washington Post › opinions › 2016/12/20
AMP – 3 days ago – … Jim Hunt tried to fire all the Republicans in the Christmas massacre? … Woodhouse had a point: North Carolina’s Democrats have …
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And I am sure that much more is available on the topic. What is shows is that the democrats in North Carolina are accustomed to playing political games for decades. And have “neutered” republicans, the same way as what is happening now.
Shoe etc
Pot etc
Games as usual etc
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People have communicated with my superintendent in the past. So I understand that. He and I had a conversation, and we’re good. There are some standards we discussed.
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Cross-posted the original post at http://www.opednews.com/Quicklink/Point-of-View-North-Carol-in-General_News-Decline_Democracy_Election_Integrity-161223-724.html#comment635974
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This is the new “You’re Fired!” philosophy of governance.
I thought Michigan’s (Betsy DeVos’s) Emergency Manager law was bad. But North Carolina didn’t even bother to pretend that democratically elected officials were incompetent. They just removed their power without any sideshow.
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All Americans who believe in legitimate democracy must boycott everything from this state. If I was driving south, I rather go around North Carolina than pass through it, so as to not give even a gas station a cent of my money.. Furthermore, I will never buy anything made in this state. This is a sad day for America.
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Let’s hope the NCAA and major corporations continue to boycott NC.
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We are in serious sewage here in North Carolina. Our governor disgusts me.
While I understand the premise and know that boycotts can be effective, there is no doubt the first cuts will come to public education. It seems that no one values our children or the people who work with them.
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