Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
In order to take this course, you must:
√ Have access to a computer.
√ Have continuous broadband Internet access.
√ Have the ability/permission to install plug-ins or software (i.e., Adobe Reader or Flash Player).
√ Have the ability to download and save files and documents to a computer.
√ Have the ability to open Microsoft files and documents (.doc, .ppt, .xls, etc.).
√ Have competency in the English language.
√ Have read the Saylor Student Handbook.
√ Have completed all courses listed in the Core Program of the political science discipline
Welcome to POLSC333. Below, please find some general information on this course and its requirements.
Course Designer: Angela Bowie
Requirements for Completion: In order to complete this course, you will need to work through each unit and all its assigned materials. Pay special attention to Unit 1, as it lays the foundation for understanding the more advanced, in-depth material presented in latter units. You will also need to complete:
In order to “pass” this course, you will need to earn a 70% or higher on the final exam. Your score on the exam will be tabulated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam, you may take it again.
Time Commitment: This course should take you a total of 113 hours to complete. Each unit includes a time advisory that lists the amount of time you are expected to spend on each subunit. These should help you plan your time accordingly. It may be useful to take a look at these time advisories and to determine how much time you have over the next few weeks to complete each unit, and then to set goals for yourself. For example, Unit 1 should take you 11 hours. Perhaps you can sit down with your calendar and decide to complete subunits 1.1.1 and 1.1.2 (a total of 3 hours) on Monday night.
Tips/Suggestions: Take notes on each resource in this course. Your notes will serve as a useful study guide as you prepare for your Final Exam.
This unit will provide you with a basic understanding of the purpose of elections, the various types of elections that exist, voting rights, and the rules that govern elections in the United States. Subunit 1.1 will focus on explaining the purpose of elections in the American political system. You will learn about the historic significance of representation and citizenship and the right to vote in the United States. Although the principle of representative democracy existed in colonial America, it took a long time for all citizens to earn the right to vote and have their voices heard by the government. In subunit 1.2, you will gain a general sense of the various types of elections in the United States and the role that citizens play in the process. Finally, this unit will conclude with a discussion on how elections are run in the United States and how electoral outcomes can be shaped by redistricting. By the end of this unit, you should have a strong sense of the role that elections play in the United States.
Unit 1 Time AdvisoryThis unit should take you approximately 14.75 hours to complete.
☐ Subunit 1.1: 3.25 hours
☐ Subunit 1.2: 1.25 hours
☐ Subunit 1.3: 4.75 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 1.3.1: 2.25 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 1.3.2: 2.5 hours
☐ Subunit 1.4: 5.5 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 1.4.1: 4 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 1.4.2: 1.5 hours
Links: eJournal USA: Eric Bjornlund: “More Than Elections” (PDF) and Valerie Bunce: “Ingredients of a Resilient Democracy” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click the “View PDF” link and then read pages 4–9, which are two short articles that discuss how democracies transfer power in accord with the will of the people, expressed through free and fair elections.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: U.S. Department of State: Bureau of International Information Programs’ “What Is Democracy? Elections” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this article. The author discusses the role of elections as the central institutions of democratic representative governments. Government “by the people” (democracy) necessitates a mechanism for free and fair elections.
This reading should take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: This material is available in the public domain.
Links: eJournal USA: Eric Bjornlund's: “More Than Elections” (PDF) and Valerie Bunce's: “Ingredients of a Resilient Democracy” (PDF)
Instructions: Please on the link above, then select the “View PDF” link, and then read pages 4–9 of the document, which covers two short articles that discuss how democracies transfer power in accord with the will of the people, expressed through free and fair elections.
These readings and note-taking should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Time Magazine: Jackson Dykman and Sean Gregory's: “10 Elections That Changed America” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage, ensuring to click the “Next” button to read about each election. How do you think the 2008 presidential election holds up to other historical elections?
This reading and question should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Colonial Williamsburg: Ed Crews' : “Voting in Early America” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage, which discusses how the early colonial settlers set up the first system of voting and representation.
Reading and note-taking should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: Steven Mintz's: ““Winning the Vote: A History of Voting Rights” (HTML)
Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage, ensuring to click “Continue” to read all three pages to learn how voting rights in the United States became (virtually) universal. Why did this country’s founders initially restrict voting rights to only propertied white men?
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Annenberg Foundation: Democracy in America: “Citizenship: Making Government Work” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Please scroll down to #1 and then click the “VoD” icon to listen to this entire video (approximately 28 minutes). This video discusses the role of responsible citizenship and the importance of voting in a democratic society. What does it mean to be an American citizen? In your opinion, does voting make one a “good citizen”? Why or why not?
Viewing this video and answering the questions about should take approximately 45 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Constituting America: Dr. Kyle Scott's: “Federalist No. 59 – Concerning the Power of Congress to Regulate the Election of Members, From the New York Packet (Hamilton)” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage. The Federalist Papers are a series of 85 essays from 1787 and 1788 that promote the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. What was the rationale behind the Founding Fathers’ decision to cede most of the power of governing elections to the states?
Reading and answering the question above should take approximately 25-30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
Link: Mount Holyoke College: Dr. Douglas J. Amy's: “What Are Voting Systems and Why Are They Important?” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage, which explains the two types of voting systems most utilized in Western democracies. How does a plurality voting system (used in the U.S.) differ from a proportional one (used mostly throughout Europe)?
Reading and answering the question above should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Encyclopedia Britannica's: “Primary Elections” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage to learn about what primary elections are and how they function.
This reading should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Pearson Education: Magruder’s American Government Foundations: “Section 4: Presidential Nominations” (PDF)
Instructions: Please scroll down to “Section 4: Presidential Nominations,” then click the PDF link, and read this entire PDF. Running for president is a long, grueling, and expensive process—from forming an exploratory committee to election day. As a result, most candidates drop out early in the race. Why do you think the presidential nominating system is set up this way? It is beneficial for the candidates and the voters? Why, or why not?
Reading and answering these questions should take approximately 45 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Khan Academy’s “Primaries and Caucuses” (YouTube)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and watch the video (approx. 8 minutes), which will help in your understanding of how the states choose their delegates for the national party conventions.
Watching this video and taking notes should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: This video is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. It is attributed to the Khan Academy.
Link: Khan Academy’s “Electoral College” (YouTube)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and watch the video (approx. 11 minutes), which provides a helpful primer on the role of the Electoral College in electing U.S. presidents. Despite its criticisms, why has the Electoral College been able to adapt and endure over two centuries of sometimes controversial presidential elections?
Viewing this video and answering this question should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. It is attributed to the Khan Academy.
Link: The Saylor Foundation's "The Presidential Nominating System" (PDF)
Instructions: Please complete the linked assessment to help in your understanding of the presidential nominating system.
You should dedicate approximately 1 hour to completing this assessment.
When you are done, please check your work against The Saylor Foundation's “Guide to Responding: The Presidential Nominating System Assessment." (PDF)
Link: America.gov: L. Sandy Maisel's: “Congressional Elections” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read this entire webpage, which discusses the unique aspects of congressional elections in the United States.
This reading should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Links: College of William & Mary School of Law: Election Law Program: Elizabeth Birch's: Election Law Manual: “State Regulation of Voters” (PDF) and “Election Administration” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click the “Chapter 5” and “Chapter 6” links and then read these entire PDFs (36 pages total). Because states govern most elections, it is important to understand how they administer and regulate them. State election law is by no means uniform across the country; however, there are some similarities (i.e., age, residency requirements).
These readings should take approximately 2 hours to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Brennan Center for Justice: Justin Levitt and Erika Wood's: “A Citizen’s Guide to Redistricting, 2010 Edition” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, then select the “Download Guide” link, and then read pages 1–71 to learn about redistricting—what it is, how it works, and why it matters. Unlike in many countries, the redistricting process in the United States is viewed as overtly and acceptably political. Why do you think this is the case?
Reading and answering these questions should take approximately 4 hours to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Drury University: Maraleen D. Shields' : “Racial Gerrymandering: Enfranchisement or Political Apartheid?” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage. What is the strongest argument Shields provides as to the pros or cons of racial gerrymandering?
Reading and answering the question above should take approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
In this unit, you will take a look at one of the most important components of the election process: the voters. You will first study the internal and external factors that compel people to vote the way that they do. You will then examine voter turnout trends over time and learn how different types of elections and issues result in greater or lesser voter turnout; for example, such high-profile elections as presidential or gubernatorial elections tend to see greater turnout than local elections for city council do. Lastly, you will look at why people do not vote as well as the issues that arise around voter disenfranchisement and barriers to voting—either intentionally or unintentionally—among certain groups.
Unit 2 Time Advisory
Time Advisory: This unit should take you approximately 13.25 hours to complete.
☐Subunit 2.1: 2.75 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 2.1.1: 2.5 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 2.1.2: 0.25 hour
☐ Subunit 2.2: 3 hours
☐ Subunit 2.3: 4.5 hours
☐ Introduction: 0.75 hour
☐ Sub-subunit 2.3.1: 3.25 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 2.3.2: 0.5 hour
☐ Subunit 2.4: 3 hours
Link: Pew Research Center for the People & the Press: “Who Votes, Who Doesn’t, and Why” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read this entire webpage.
Reading and answering the question above should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Brookings Institution Press: J. Celeste Jay, James Gimpel, and Jason Schuknecht's: Cultivating Democracy: Civic Environments and Political Socialization in America: “Becoming Political: Local Environments and Political Socialization” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, then select the “Sample Chapter” link, and then read this entire PDF (43 pages). While reading this chapter, think about how your own experiences have informed your political values and preferences.
This reading should take approximately 2 hours to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Bill Steigerwald's: “Why We Vote the Way We Do” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage.
This reading should take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Indiana University: Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis: Nichole Bauer's: “Sticking with It: How Loyalty Explains Political Party Identification” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click the Bauer link under “Spring 2010,” and then read this entire PDF. Compared to other factors, why is party identification such a strong predictor of how a person votes?
Reading and answering the question above should take approximately 1 hour to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Pew Research Center for the People & the Press: “Beyond Red vs. Blue: The Political Typology” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage about the increasing diversity of political ideologies among American people.
This reading should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Quarterly Journal of Political Science: Larry M. Bartels' “What’s the Matter with What’s the Matter with Kansas?” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, scroll down to the reading titled “What’s the Matter with What’s the Matter with Kansas?” APSA 2005 (the second Bartels reading), and then read this entire PDF (43 pages). The central argument of this article is that the Republican party has forged a political coalition of working-class white voters who continue to support the party although it means voting against their own economic self-interest. What flaws of this theory does Bartels point out in his critique?
Reading and answering this question should take approximately 2 hours to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: American University: Robert Stein, Jan Leighley, and Christopher Owens' : “Who Votes, Who Doesn’t, Why and, What Can Be Done?” (PDF)
Instructions: At the above webpage, click on the link to the PDF titled “Who Votes, Who Doesn’t, Why, and What Can Be Done?” Please read the report in its entirety (15 pages).
This reading should take approximately 45 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Fair Vote: The Center for Voting and Democracy: “Voter Turnout” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read this entire webpage. Why is voter turnout in presidential elections significantly higher than in midterm elections?
Reading and answering the question above should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Information Please: “National Voter Turnout in Federal Elections: 1960–2008” (HTML)
Instructions: Please view this chart, which provides historical voting data, including age of voting population, voter registration, and turnout. The largest voter turnouts (above 60%) for presidential elections all occurred in the 1960s. Why do you think this was the case?
You should spend approximately 15 minutes studying this resource and answering the question above.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: University of Michigan: Michael McDonald and Sam Popkin's: “The Myth of the Vanishing Voter” (PDF).
Instructions: At the above webpage, click on the first link to “The Myth of the Vanishing Voter.” Please read the paper in its entirety (46 pages). According to the authors, why does it appear as if voting turnout has declined so dramatically in recent years? Is this apparent trend a real trend or a statistical artifact?
Reading and answering the questions above should take approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above
Link: Nonprofit VOTE: George Pillsbury and Julian Johannesen: “America Goes to the Polls 2010: A Report on Voter Turnout in the 2010 Election” (PDF)
Instructions: Go to the above webpage and click on “Download the PDF” at the bottom of the report’s summary to access the PDF of the report. Read it in its entirety (21 pages). In your opinion, which results were most surprising about voting trends in the 2010 midterm election?
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: The Pew Center on the States: “Demand for Democracy” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage.
This reading should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: ThePolity.net: David Hill's: “Age, Race, Ethnicity, and Electoral Competition in the 2008 Election” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage.
This reading should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
Link: PBS NOW: “Block the Vote” (Quicktime, Real Player, or Windows Media)
Instructions: Please watch this entire video (approximately 27 minutes), which looks at election law and its adverse impact among minorities, the poor, and the disabled.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Brennan Center for Justice: Erika Wood's: “Restoring the Right to Vote” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, select the “Click Here to Download PDF of Publication” link, and then read this entire PDF (36 pages) about felony disenfranchisement in the United States. Is prohibiting ex-felons from voting a good idea? Why, or why not?
Reading and answering the questions above should take approximately 2 hours to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
In Unit 1, you gained a basic understanding of elections; in this unit, you will learn about campaigns. This unit will first focus on candidates, asking: “Who runs for office and why?” This unit will examine campaign organization and discuss different strategies for targeting voters and getting elected. Some candidates look to engage the masses and attract a grassroots following, while others seek approval from party elites or other popular elected officials to try to attract votes. Regardless of the approach, you will learn that candidates must consider their campaign strategies very carefully in order to have a successful day at the polls. Finally, you will learn about the important role that money plays in American campaigns. Money has influenced campaigns in the United States for more than a century, which has led to various government interventions and responses. For example, you will learn the steps the government has taken to prevent money from making the electoral system undemocratic and the impact that these laws have had on campaigns.
Unit 3 Time Advisory
This unit should take you approximately 19 hours to complete.
☐ Subunit 3.1: 4.75 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 3.1.1: 1.25 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 3.1.2: 3.5 hours
☐ Subunit 3.2: 0.75 hour
☐ Subunit 3.3: 7.5 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 3.3.1: 2.25 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 3.3.2: 1.75 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 3.3.3: 2 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 3.3.4: 1.5 hours
☐ Subunit 3.4: 6 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 3.4.1: 0.75 hour
☐ Sub-subunit 3.4.2: 2.75 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 3.4.3: 2.5 hour
Link: Boston Review: Stephen Ansolabehere's: “Run for Office” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, read the article in its entirety, and examine the graph at the bottom of the page as well.
This reading should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Slate.com: Jack Shafer's: “When Journalists Repackage Themselves as Politicians” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage, which seeks to explain why reporters and journalists often run for political office.
This reading and note-taking should take approximately 1 hour to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Boston College: Third World Law Journal: Jason P. Conti's: “The Forgotten Few: Campaign Finance Reform and Its Impact on Minority and Female Candidates” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click the “Download” link and then read this entire PDF (65 pages). Conti notes the inadequate diversity of representation in elective office and offers a unique perspective on the adverse effects of campaign finance reform on women and minority candidates.
This reading should take approximately 3 hours to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Real Clear Politics: Jack Kelly's: “The Rise of Black Republicans” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage.
This reading should take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Washington Post: Perry Bacon Jr.'s: “Black Politicians Gaining Little Capital after Obama’s Election” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage. Note that even though the details of the article might be somewhat outdated, the general theme—that the election of Barak Obama has not, by itself, made it much easier for Black politicians to win elections—remains true today.
This reading should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Doc-txt: Jody Baumgartner’s “Competition in Congressional Elections: A Thing of the Past?” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and then select the hyperlink for the title “Competition in Congressional Elections: A Thing of the Past?” Please read it in its entirety (5 pages). How is the system set up so that challengers so often fail in unseating an incumbent? Is incumbency a major disincentive for people wanting to run for office?
Reading and answering these questions should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the web page above.
Links: Center for Responsive Politics: “Incumbent Advantage” (HTML) and “Reelection Rates over the Years” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the links above, and read these entire webpages, which offer charts on the financial advantages enjoyed by incumbents and charts on the historic re-election trends for members of Congress, respectively.
These readings should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.
Link: CompleteCampaigns.com: Christopher Cotty's: “So You Want to Run for Office?” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage, which offers a primer for people interested in running for office and the necessary steps to take.
This reading should take approximately 1 hour to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Rutgers University: Center for American Women and Politics: Department of Political Science: Susan J. Carroll and Kira Sanbonmatsu's: “Gender and the Decision to Run for the State Legislature” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, then select the link for this paper, and then read this entire PDF (23 pages). What are the factors that women consider when running for office, and how do they differ from men?
Reading and answering this question should take approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: C-SPAN Video Library: David Winston's: “Campaign Strategy, Themes and Messages” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and watch this entire video (approximately 93 minutes). David Winston, president of the Winston Group, a Washington, D.C., strategy and message design firm, speaks to students at American University’s Campaign Management Institute about developing campaign strategies and targeting specific demographics in the electorate. He also focuses on crafting candidate and campaign messages as well as developing themes that resonate with voters. Do you think he provides an effective primer for an individual interested in running for office?
Viewing this lecture, taking notes, and answering the question above should take approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Roper Center: “Fundamentals of Polling” (HTML)
Instructions: At the above page, there are links to five sections (Introduction, Sampling, Total Survey Error, Reading Tables, and Glossary of Terminology). Please click on each, and read the accompanying text in its entirety.
This reading should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Carleton College: Steven E. Schier's: “Aiming a Rifle and Missing Millions: Campaign Polling in Contemporary Politics” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, scroll down to find the link to this paper, and then read this entire PDF (21 pages). What are Schier’s main criticisms of campaign polling?
Reading and answering this question should take approximately 1 hour to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Roll Call: Paul Singer's: “Opposition Research: For Campaigns of All Sizes” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage on how opposition research is used as a campaign strategy. Consider why opposition research has become such an integral part of contemporary campaigns.
This reading and the prompt above for consideration should take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: CBS News: Kathy Frankovic's: “The Truth about Push Polls” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage. What are the ethical issues surrounding push polls?
Reading and answering the question above should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Brookings Institution Press: James A. Thurber and Candice J. Nelson's: Campaign Warriors: Political Consultants in Elections: “Introduction to the Study of Campaign Consultants” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, then select the “Sample Chapter” link, and then read this entire PDF (9 pages) on the professionalization of campaign politics and how it has changed modern elections.
This reading should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Harvard Law & Policy Review: Ellen Zeng's: “Are Campaign Consultants Valuable?” (PDF)
Instructions: Please go to the above website and click on the link “click here to read more” to be directed to the PDF of the essay. Read the entire essay (16 pages). Do you think these consultants are worth the high fees that they command? Why, or why not?
Reading and answering the questions above should take approximately 1 hour to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: C-SPAN Video Library: “Money and Campaign 2010” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and watch this entire video (approximately 45 minutes), which discusses the role of money in some of the most competitive 2010 midterm congressional races.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Answers.com: Robert E. Mutch’s “Campaign Financing and Resources” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage. How have the sources of campaign funds evolved since colonial times?
Reading and answering this question should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Center for Responsive Politics: Lauren Hepler's: “Self-Funded Candidates Experiencing Spotty Success in 2010” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage, which discusses the political success (or lack thereof) of candidates who self-finance their election. In your opinion, what factors would compel a candidate to spend millions of his or her own money to mount a political campaign?
Reading and answering the question above should take approximately 1 hour to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Center for Responsive Politics: “Banking on Becoming President” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link for each 2008 presidential candidate’s name to view his or her individual sources of campaign funding during the election.
You should dedicate approximately 25-30 minutes to studying this resource.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: TheAtlantic.com’s Wendy Kaminer’s “The New York Times’ Disingenuous Campaign against Citizens United” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read the entire article. Pay attention to the author’s argument regarding the causes of high spending in recent elections.
This reading should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: USA Today: Fredreka Schouten et al.’s “Individuals, Not Corporations, Drive Super PAC Financing” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, scan the table, and read the entire article.
This reading should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: The Pew Charitable Trusts: “The Campaign Finance Guide” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, select the PDF link after “View full report,” and then read pages 1–47 of this report. This guide offers a practical explanation of campaign finance laws that govern how money can be raised and spent in federal elections. It provides a broad overview of the federal laws governing political actors and their activities.
This reading should take approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
There are many factors that impact political campaigns in America. In this unit, you will learn how political parties and interest groups shape the electoral landscape by influencing candidates and voters. You will first focus on the role of political parties in elections, learning how parties have influenced elections in the past and in the present. You will also discover how the American political system maintains a strong two-party system (i.e., a system of Democrats and Republicans) and makes it difficult for a third party to gain prominence. Next, you will focus on interest groups, learning how they impact campaigns, candidates, and voters.
Unit 4 Time Advisory
This unit should take you approximately 14.25 hours to complete.
☐ Subunit 4.1: 8.75 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 4.1.1: 4 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 4.1.2: 1.75 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 4.1.3: 3 hours
☐ Subunit 4.2: 5.5 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 4.2.1: 1 hour
☐ Sub-subunit 4.2.2: 0.75 hour
☐ Sub-subunit 4.2.3: 3.75 hours
Link: Living the Dream: “Studying the Founders Series: The Evolution of Political Parties” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage. Note that even though the webpage indicates that the reading consists of a six-part series, the entire text is available at the above URL. When reading this article, think about why the founding fathers were fearful of political parties and how they were able to flourish in early America despite this opposition.
Reading and note-taking should take approximately 2 hours to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Net Places: “Political Parties” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click all six links at the top of the page, and then read these entire webpages, which will provide you with a good primer in understanding the important roles that parties play in American electoral politics.
This reading should take approximately 2 hours to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Annenberg Foundation: Democracy in America: “Political Parties: Mobilizing Agents” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, scroll down to #12, and then click the “VoD” icon to listen to this entire video (approximately 28 minutes). This program shows how political parties perform important functions that link the public to the institutions of American government.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: National Journal: Josh Kraushaar's: “Democrats’ Diversity Problem” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage.
This reading should take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Mother Jones: David Corn's: “The Hardest Job in Washington” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage. This article profiles Jon Vogel, the executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee—the fundraising arm of Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
This reading should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Roll Call: Politics: Jessica Brady's: “Groups Seek 2012 Repeat of ‘Year of the Woman’” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage. Consider the political and policy factors that have enabled women, in certain years, to increase their numbers in Congress.
Reading and answering the prompt above for consideration should take approximately 30 minute to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Bloomberg TV: Intelligence Squared: “Is the Two-Party System Making America Ungovernable?” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Please watch this entire video, which is a panel debate with political and media experts on the two-party system of governance, arguing against and in favor of the current system. Which side presents the more convincing argument?
Viewing this lecture and taking notes should take approximately 2 hours to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: The Saylor Foundation's "Comparing Political Parties" (PDF)
Instructions: Please complete the linked assessment to help in your understanding of the political philosophies of the two major U.S. political parties.
You should dedicate approximately 1 hour to complete this assessment.
When you are done, please check your work against The Saylor Foundation's “Guide to Responding: Comparing Political Parties Assessment." (PDF)
Link: Sparknotes: “Interest Groups” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the overview as well as all five subtopics under “Interest Groups.” Thousands of interest groups exist in the United States. Although they vary in size, ideology, purpose, and strategies, they all have the same goal: to influence government in a way that is beneficial to their membership.
This reading should take approximately 1 hour to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: USA Today: Frederka Schouten's: “Incumbents Attract Late Primary Donations from Special Interest Groups” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage.
This reading should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Politics Daily: Politics Daily: Sandra Fish's: “Interest Group Spending on Campaigns Setting Records in 2010” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage.
This reading should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Democracy in Action’s “Active at Every Stage” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read the entire article on how organized interests and well-organized individuals endeavor to shape 2012’s election-year debate.
This reading should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: C-SPAN Video Library: “Political Action Committees and 2012 Elections” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and watch this entire video (approximately 38 minutes), in which Sheila Krumholz, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics, discusses the political action committees (PACs) that influenced the 2008 and 2010 elections and the upcoming 2012 elections.
Viewing this lecture and note-taking should take approximately 45 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Northwestern University School of Law: Lauren Daniel’s “527s in a Post-Swift Boat Era: The Current and Future Role of Issue Advocacy Groups in Presidential Elections” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, select “Download” to access the PDF file, and read this entire document (35 pages). This report begins with a summary of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a 527 group that many believe cost Senator John Kerry the 2004 presidential election. While this group became the most well-known 527, hundreds of these groups formed as a consequence of campaign finance reform. Why do you think this happened?
Reading and answer the question above should take approximately 2 hours to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: The Saylor Foundation's "Interest Groups" (PDF)
Instructions: Please complete the linked assessment in order to test your knowledge on the various types of interest groups that exist in American politics and their role in influencing electoral politics.
You should dedicate approximately 1 hour to complete this assessment.
When you are done, please check your work against The Saylor Foundation's “Guide to Responding: Interest Group Assessment." (PDF)
Another important component of the campaign and election process is the media. The media plays a major role in shaping and defining the message that a given candidate communicates in a given election. The media also ensures that citizens have access to information about candidates and elections. However, note the give-and-take relationship between politicians and media; their codependence can impact how we perceive politicians. In this unit, you will learn how candidates use the media and how the media covers politicians.
Unit 5 Time Advisory
This unit should take you approximately 22 hours to complete.
☐ Subunit 5.1: 4 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 5.1.1: 3 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 5.1.2: 1 hour
☐ Subunit 5.2: 3.5 hour
☐ Subunit 5.3: 10.25 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 5.3.1: 0.75 hour
☐ Sub-subunit 5.3.2: 3 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 5.3.3: 4 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 5.3.4: 2.5 hours
☐ Subunit 5.4: 4.25 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 5.4.1 3 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 5.4.2: 1.25 hours
Link: Shmoop.com: “Ideology in History of American Journalism” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage.
This reading should take approximately 1 hour to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Princeton University: Center for the Study of Democratic Politics: Mel Laracey's: “The Presidential Newspaper as an Institution of Early American Political Development: The Case of Thomas Jefferson and the Election of 1800” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, select the title to access the PDF, and then read this entire PDF (42 pages). This report offers an illuminating case study on the critical role of political newspapers in the early 19th century.
This reading should take approximately 2 hours to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: American Journalism Review: Tim Porter's: “What’s the Point?” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage. Has a newspaper’s endorsement of a candidate ever swayed how you felt about a particular candidate? Do you think these endorsements have any effect on a voter’s decision-making process?
Reading and answering the questions above should take approximately 1 hour to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Museum of the Moving Image: “The Living Room Candidate” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: The Living Room Candidate is an innovative online exhibition presenting more than 250 television commercials from every presidential campaign since 1952. Read the “Introduction” on this page, browse this website, and view some of the ads. Select two ads from either 1952 or 1956 and two ads from 1980 or later. What differences do you notice in the production choices, style, and overall effect of the commercials? What do these changes suggest about how the medium itself has evolved?
You should dedicate approximately 15-20 minutes to studying this resource and answering the questions above.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Time Magazine: Amy Sullivan’s “Truth in Advertising? Not for Political Ads” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read this entire webpage, and then consider how First Amendment issues can complicate the enforcement of false political advertising.
Reading and answering the prompt above should take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: C-SPAN Video Library: “Presidential Debates” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and watch this entire video (approximately 79 minutes) of a panel discussion on presidential debates. The first part of the program focuses on the seminal 1960 televised debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. Subsequent discussion focuses on the usefulness of presidential debates and what they may look like in the future.
Viewing this video and note-taking should take approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: ThisNation.com: “Do Negative Campaign Ads Work?” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage.
This reading should take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Totally Top 10: “10 Most Negative Political Campaign Ads in History” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Please read all the descriptions and view all the political campaign ads. Note that the link for the 9th ad does not work. To view this ad, see the next “Web Media” item below. In your opinion, which of the ads are the most negative? The most effective? Why? Please note that the link to video #9 is broken on this webpage, but it is provided with the web media linked below.
Viewing these videos, reading the descriptions, and answering the questions above should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: YouTube: Michael Billy’s “Famous ‘Daisy’ Attack Ad from 1964 Presidential Election” (YouTube)
Instructions: Please view the political campaign ad (1 minute). This is the ad from the broken link in the above “web media” item.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: The Saylor Foundation's “Fact Checking Campaign Ads” (PDF)
Instructions: Please complete the linked assessment for the purposes of effectively analyzing and explaining the role of the media in campaigns and elections.
You should dedicate approximately 1 hour to complete this assessment.
When you are done, please check your work against The Saylor Foundation's “Guide to Responding: Fact Checking Campaign Ads Assessment." (PDF)
Link:Nieman Reports: Shanto Iyengar, William F. Woo, and Jennifer McGrady's: “Looking Behind the Scenes of Political Coverage” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage. This article compares and contrasts national presidential press coverage with local reporting on congressional races and discovers some surprising findings.
This reading should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: The Lear Center Local News Archive: Martin Kaplan's: “Local TV News Coverage of Politics and the Public Interest Obligations of Broadcasters” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, then select the link for this report, and then read this entire PDF (3 pages). Martin Kaplan, associate dean at the USC Annenberg School for Communication, testified before the Senate Commerce Committee on the responsibilities of broadcasters to cover relevant political issues.
This reading should take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
Link: Harvard University: John F. Kennedy School of Government: Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy: John Geer's: “Fanning the Flames: The News Media’s Role in the Rise of Negativity in Presidential Campaigns” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, select the link to the title after the author’s name, and then read this entire PDF (22 pages). According to Geer, how has the news media been complicit in negative reporting? What are their motivations for doing this?
Reading and answering the questions above should take approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Boston Globe: Craig Fehrman's: “The Incredible Shrinking Sound Bite” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage. Make sure to click on “next” at the bottom of the first page to continue to all 3 pages of the article.
This reading should take approximately 45 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Boston College: Christopher D. Stanley's: “24-Hour Cable News: The Mainstreaming of Politicization” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, select the “Read Online” link, and then read pages 1–31 and 45–88. Stanley contends that 24-hour cable news has not only helped to shape political debate in recent years but has also served to intensify voter partisanship. Do you agree with his assessment?
Reading and answering the questions above should take approximately 4 hours to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Slate.com: Jack Shafer's: “In Praise of Horse-Race Coverage” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage.
This reading should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Harvard University: John F. Kennedy School of Government: Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy: Robin Sproul's: “Exit Polls: Better or Worse Since the 2000 Election?” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, select the link to the title after the author’s name, and then read this entire PDF (41 pages). What are Sproul’s primary criticisms about exit polling?
Reading and answering the question above should take approximately 2 hours to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: United Diversity: Matthew Scott Hindman's: Voice, Equality, and the Internet: “The Lessons of Howard Dean” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, select the “voice_equality_and_the_internet.pdf” link (second from the bottom), and then read pages 17–29.
This reading should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Time: Karen Tumulty's: “Obama’s Viral Marketing Campaign” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage, ensuring to click the arrow to read the second page.
This reading should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Pew Internet & American Life Project: “The Internet and Campaign 2010” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, select the “Download Report PDF” link, and then read this entire PDF (39 pages).
This reading should take approximately 2 hours to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
Link: Brookings Institution: Darrell West's: “Ten Ways Social Media Can Improve Campaign Engagement and Reinvigorate American Democracy” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage.
This reading should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
In this unit, you will learn how election outcomes impact government actions and public policy. Although elections often have immediate political consequences, the American political system is designed so major changes happen slowly. Although the majority party often has more power in terms of shaping public policy than does the minority party, the design of the American political system (i.e., checks and balances, separation of powers) ensures that party dominance in the legislative branch does not mean that a given party has free rein in implementing public policy.
This unit will address important electoral outcomes and assess the impact that these outcomes have on the legislative process. You will learn how party dominance can change (realignment), how political parties can enjoy a sense of power after winning a large majority in an election (political mandate), how bipartisanship has changed (or disappeared) over time, and how all this can impact policy implementation.
This unit should take you approximately 18 hours to complete.
☐ Subunit 6.1: 3 hours
☐ Subunit 6.2: 4.25 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 6.2.1: 2 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 6.2.2: 1.25 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 6.2.3: 1 hour
☐ Subunit 6.3: 3.75 hours
☐ Subunit 6.4: 7 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 6.4.1: 2.75 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 6.4.2: 3 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 6.4.3 1.25 hour
Link: The University of Vermont: David R. Mayhew's: Electoral Realignments: A Critique of an American Genre: “The Realignment Perspective” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, select the “mayhew.pdf” link, and then read this entire PDF (20 pages). Based on your understanding of the reading, do you believe that the 2008 presidential election fits the definition of “realignment?”
Reading and answering the question above should take approximately 1 hour to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Liberty University: Steven Alan Samson's: “Electoral Realignment” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, select the “Download” link, and then read this entire PDF (8 pages).
This reading should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Florin Fesnic's: “Election Types” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, select the link to this reading on the webpage, and then read this entire PDF (3 pages).
This reading should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: New America Foundation: Peter Levine, Constance Flanagan, and Les Gallay's: “The Millennial Pendulum: A New Generation of Voters and the Prospects for a Political Realignment” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, select the link under “Attachments,” and then read this entire PDF (20 pages). The authors suggest that Millennials have a more progressive identity than did previous generations at their age and are likely to move the country leftward on economic and social issues for decades to come. Do you agree with this assessment? Why, or why not?
Reading and answering the questions above should take approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Brookings Institution/Princeton University: “Elections, Mandates, and Governance” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, select the “Transcript (PDF)” link, and then read this entire PDF (51 pages).
This reading and note-taking should take approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: University of Connecticut: Daily Campus: Arragon Perrone's: “Politicians Should Not Declare ‘Popular Mandate’” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage.
This reading should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: The Leonore Annenberg Institute for Civics: “Mandate: The President and the People” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and watch this entire video (approximately 34 minutes), which examines the complex relationship between the presidency and public opinion—from George Washington to Franklin D. Roosevelt. What exactly do mandates tell us about the proper relationship between the president and the people, especially following elections with thin margins?
Viewing this video and answering the question above should take approximately 45 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: CBSNews.com: Vaughn Ververs' : “A Mandate for Change” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage. In your opinion, has any aspect of President Obama’s mandate for change after the 2008 presidential election been effectively realized?
Reading and answering this question above should take approximately 25-30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: C-SPAN Video Library: “2010 Midterm Election Mandate” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and watch this entire video (approximately 63 minutes) for a discussion that analyzes the mandate expressed by the voters during the 2010 midterm elections.
This video should take approximately 1 hour to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Annual Review of Political Science: Morris P. Fiorina and Samuel J. Adams' : “Political Polarization in the American Public” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, scroll down to the “Wayne Baker” section to find this reading, and then read this entire PDF (29 pages).
This reading should take approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: The Christian Science Monitor: Liz Marlantes’ “Inside Red-and-Blue America” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read the above article in its entirety in which the author discusses America’s polarized electorate. Make sure to click on the arrow key or page number at the bottom of the text to read all 4 pages of the article. As she points out, some view the red state/blue state phenomenon as somewhat exaggerated. Do you agree with this assessment? Why, or why not?
Reading and answering the questions above should take approximately 1 hour to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Brookings Institution: “Congressional Leadership in an Era of Partisan Polarization” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Please scroll down to the “Multimedia Downloads” section and then click the “Audio” button next to “Part One” to listen to this entire discussion (approximately 72 minutes).
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: The Brookings Institution: Thomas E. Mann's: “From Campaigning to Governing: Politics and Policymaking in the New Obama Administration” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage.
This reading should take approximately 1 hour to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Education Policy Analysis Archives: Robert L. Linn’s “Conflicting Demands of No Child Left Behind and State Systems: Mixed Messages about School Performance” (PDF)
Instructions: Read this article
Reading this article should take approximately 45 minutes.
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. It is attributed to Robert L. Linn and the original version can be found here.
Link: The Economist: E. G. Austin's: “The Problems of the Permanent Campaign” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage. Based on the above article, how would you describe the political mindset of the “permanent campaign” in enacting public policy within the Obama Administration?
Reading and answering the question above should take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: University of Pennsylvania: Amy Gutmann and Dennis Thompson's: “The Mindsets of Political Compromise” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage. Why is there so much resistance to the idea of compromise among the American public?
Reading and answering the question above should take approximately 3 hours to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Education Week: Alyson Klein and Sean Cavanagh's: “Election Stakes High for Education Policy, Spending” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage.
This reading should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Public Radio International: “The World:” “Election Results and Climate Policy” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and then select the “Play” button to listen to this entire podcast (approximately 4 minutes) about the 2010 midterm elections and their impact on climate change and energy policies. You may also view the transcript on this page.
Viewing the lecture and reading the transcript should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Voice of America: Jim Malone's: “US Election Results Could Affect Foreign Policy” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage.
This reading should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
No electoral system is without flaws; the United States has seen (and will continue to see) a number of electoral reforms designed to rectify its “imperfect” system. Some of these changes were obvious “quick fixes” to clearly undemocratic practices. Others are less obvious and tend to spark a great deal of debate within the public policy arena. In this unit, you will first look at some of the electoral changes that have been enacted historically. Many of these changes were implemented with the intention of developing a more open and democratic political system. However, many still feel that reforms are necessary; reforms are constantly proposed and debated in the public arena and within government. In the second half of this unit, you will take a closer look at some of these proposed reforms and their potential for implementation. By the end of this unit, you should be aware that the American electoral system, like all electoral systems, is not perfect and that reform will continue to be an ongoing debate.
Unit 7 Time Advisory
This unit should take you approximately 17 hours to complete.
☐ Subunit 7.1: 2 hours
☐ Subunit 7.2: 0.75 hour
☐ Subunit 7.3: 5.5 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 7.3.1: 1.5 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 7.3.2: 0.75 hour
☐ Sub-subunit 7.3.3: 2.25 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 7.3.4: 1 hour
☐ Subunit 7.4: 9 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 7.4.1: 3 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 7.4.2: 4.5 hours
☐ Sub-subunit 7.4.3: 1.5 hours
Link: CRS Report for Congress: Thomas H. Neale's: “Election of the President and Vice President by Congress: Contingent Election” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage. How did the 12th Amendment rectify the flaws in the original design of the Electoral College (as evidenced by the 1800 presidential election)?
Reading and answering the question above should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Christopher Morin's: “The Progressive Era: Government & Election Reform” (PowerPoint)
Instructions: Please click the “Political Reform” link under the “PowerPoint Presentations” section, and then read this entire presentation (24 slides) about early 20th-century electoral reforms.
This reading should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: United States Senate: “Direct Election of Senators” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage. Over the last few years, the push to repeal the 17th Amendment has gained traction among many conservative groups. The argument in favor of repeal is that it would increase the power of the states in the political process and have elected officials who, presumably, would care primarily about the state’s interest over the “corrupting” influence of wealthy corporate donors. Do you agree with this position? Why, or why not?
Reading and answering the questions above should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: ThisNation.com: Shad Satterthwaite's:“How Did Party Conventions Come About and What Purpose Do They Serve?” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage.
This reading should take approximately 25-30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Initiative & Referendum Institute: M. Dane Waters' : “A Brief: The History of the Initiative and Referendum Process in the United States” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, choose “History of the initiative process” from the “I & R Quick Facts” dropdown menu on the lower-left side of the page, and then read this entire PDF (10 pages).
This reading should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Los Angeles Times: Nicholas Riccardi's: “Recall Elections Surge in Local and State Government” (HTML)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read this entire webpage. This reading should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Congressional Research Service: Thomas H. Neale's: “Electoral College Reform: 111th Congress Proposals and Other Current Developments” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, scroll down to find the link for this reading (November 4, 2009), and then read this entire PDF (34 pages). Which reform proposal would you consider to be the most practical and/or effective?
Reading and answering the question above should take approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Congressional Research Service: Kevin J. Coleman and Eric A. Fisher's: “The Help America Vote Act and Elections Reform: Overview and Issues” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, scroll down to find the link for this reading (June 27, 2011), and then read this entire PDF (14 pages).
This reading should take approximately 45 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: iTunes: National Constitution Center: “We the People” Stories: “What’s Your Primary Concern?” (iTunes)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, select “View in iTunes” for the lecture titled “What’s Your Primary Concern?” 4/27/08, and then listen to this entire podcast (approximately 55 minutes), which features a panel discussion on the presidential primary process. Do you think the current process is fair? Should it be changed? If so, how?
Viewing this lecture and answering the questions above should take approximately 1 hour to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
Link: Utne Reader: Will Wlizlo's: “The Story of Citizens United” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and watch this entire video (approximately 9 minutes) about Citizens United, a nonprofit political group that challenged provisions of the federal campaign law—specifically, the provision that banned speech expressly advocating the election or defeat of a candidate. The Supreme Court ruled in the group’s favor, stating that corporate speech should be offered the same protection as individual speech. Do you believe the court ruled correctly in this case? Why, or why not?
Viewing this lecture and answering the questions above should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Institute for Policy Studies: Salvatore Babones’s “Corporate Campaign Spending: They Get What They Pay for” (PDF)
Instructions: Read this article.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use:This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License. It is attributed to Salvatore Babones and the original version can be found here.
Link: Democracy Now: “Campaign Cash: The Independent Fundraising Gold Rush Since Citizens United Ruling” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Please watch this video, starting at minute 13.
Viewing this lecture should take approximately 20 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: FindLaw: National Commission on Election Reform Final Report: “To Assure Pride and Confidence in the Electoral Process” (HTML or PDF)
Instructions: Please click the second link under the “Election 2000” section and then read pages 17–73. As a result of the contentious presidential election of 2000, the commission—co-chaired by former presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford—was formed to evaluate election reform and put forth policy recommendations to Congress and the president.
This reading should take approximately 3 hours to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Project Vote: Estelle H. Rogers' : “The National Voter Registration Act at Fifteen: A Report to Congress” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, select the link for the article “The National Voter Registration Act at Fifteen: A Report to Congress,” and then read this entire PDF (41 pages).
This reading should take approximately 2 hours to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: Brennan Center for Justice: Justin Levitt's: “The Truth about Voter Fraud” (PDF
Instructions: Please click on the link above, select the “Download Entire Publication Here” link, and then read this entire PDF (50 pages).
This reading should take approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: University of Michigan: Dana Walker's: “Voting in Your Underwear: The Promise, Perils and Policy Implications of Exercising the Franchise on the Internet” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, scroll down to the “Selected Unpublished Papers” to find this reading, and then read this entire PDF (29 pages).
This reading should take approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Link: The Saylor Foundation's POLSC333 Final Exam
Instructions: You must be logged into your Saylor Foundation School account in order to access this exam. If you do not yet have an account, you will be able to create one, free of charge, after clicking the link.