Randolph-Macon College Sociology Professor Jack Trammell, co-author of  “The Fourth Branch of Government: We the People,” will be at South Main Book Co. on Saturday, Oct. 29, from noon to 2 p.m.

He co-authored the book with Guy Terrell. The book, Trammell told Randolph-Macon news service, focuses on the importance of updating the framework of democracy. 

It is a timely topic, considering this year’s election.

“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,” he said.

Trammell said 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 has written hundreds of articles and stories, and more than 20 books. He teaches courses in disability studies.

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.

To learn more, visit fourthbranchofgovernment.com