‘Vote Buying and the Corruption of Democracy’

Guest: Mary Frances Berry

You’re at home, and someone knocks on your door representing a campaign for Senate, US House, or president.  They ask to speak with you and after a few minutes, they offer you a few dollars or a meal in exchange for your vote.  Would you take it? University of Pennsylvania professor and civil rights leader MARY FRANCES BERRY discusses this scenario in her new book, Five Dollars and a Pork Chop Sandwich: Vote Buying and the Corruption of Democracy.  She has long been a voting rights and social justice leader, having served 24 years on the US Commission on Civil Rights and eleven as chair. We’ll examine the prevalence of vote buying, as well as other efforts afoot around the county to either suppress or expand voter’s rights.