Randolph-Macon College Sociology Professor Jack Trammell is the co-author of a new book, The Fourth Branch of Government: We the People (Brandylane Publishing, 2016). He co-authored the book with Guy Terrell. The book, says Trammell, focuses on the importance of updating the framework of democracy.

“It is a movement whose time has come, and one that the Founding Fathers envisioned,” he explains. “In the book, we outline a roadmap for how change can be facilitated, as well as a rationale for why it is necessary. The only way to update our democracy and make it relevant to the 21st century is to call for a constitutional convention. In that forum, we can consider changes like eliminating the Electoral College, or implementing e-voting, perhaps even changes leading to broader and more direct participation in our governance, the Fourth Branch of Government.”

Trammell says he and Terrell were inspired to write the book because of growing voter frustration—a trend that transcends political parties and ideologies.

“Our system was not originally intended to have gridlock, or large blocks of voters who continually feel disenfranchised,” he says. “The Constitution does in fact give us many tools to deal with this.”

Trammell and Terrell were interviewed by Charlottesville Right Now, a drive-time news radio magazine, on August 18, 2016.

Jack Trammell
Trammell has written hundreds of articles and stories, and more than 20 books. He served as director of RMC’s Honors program from 2009 to 2014 and teaches courses in disability studies in the Sociology Department. He also served as director of RMC’s Disability Support Services from 2001 to 2016.

Trammell is an author in the 2010 Anthology of Appalachian Writers, Silas House Volume II. In addition, he is the author of Down on the Chickahominy: The Life and Times of a Vanishing Virginia River and The Richmond Slave Trade: The Economic Backbone of The Old Dominion. In 2014, he was a candidate for U.S. Congress in Representative Eric Cantor’s seat.

Trammell, who joined the faculty in 2000, earned his B.A. at Grove City College and his M.Ed. and Ph.D. at Virginia Commonwealth University.