1 Introduction
2 Why It Matters
4 A. Reading: The Philosophical Perspective
6 B. Reading: The Nature of Government
7 Video: Democracy and Majority Rule (I)
13 D. Reading: Creating and Ratifying the Constitution
17 Video: Creating a Nation
19 Why It Matters
Primary Navigation
23 Reading: Federalism
24 Reading: The Powers of National Government
27 Reading: The Meanings of Federalism
47 **Video: Munk Debate on State Surveillance – LINK
48 F. Reading: Civil Liberties in the Information Age
58 Expanding the Struggle for Equality
64 Putting It Together
65 Why It Matters
67 A. Reading: The Powers of Congress
69 B. Reading: A Bicameral Legislative Branch
71 C. Reading: Parties in Congress
73 E. Reading: House Leadership
75 G. Reading: Committees
77 H. Reading: The Legislative Process
83 Reading: Congress in the Information Age
88 A. Reading: The Powers of the Presidency
91 B. Reading: How Presidents Get Things Done
93 C. Reading: The Presidency in the Information Age
96 Why It Matters
107 Reading: The Courts in the Information Age
113 A. Reading: Political Culture
117 B. Reading: Political Socialization
119 C. Reading: Political Culture and Socialization in the Information Age
125 Video: Martin Gilens on Political Inequality
131 H. Reading: Public Opinion in the Information Age
132 Putting It Together
136 Reading: The Media
139 Video: Glenn Greenwald’s Plan to Poke, Prod, and Piss Off the Powerful
142 Reading: Who Owns the Media?
144 Reading: Agenda-Setting Theory
150 Putting It Together
153 A. Reading: History of American Political Parties
157 C. Reading: Party Organization
158 D. Reading: Party in Government
162 F. Reading: Minor Parties
167 H. Reading: Lobbying: The Art of Influence
169 I. Reading: Interest Groups and the Political System
173 Why It Matters
175 A. Reading: Election Campaigns
179 B. Reading: Media and Election Campaigns
187 H. Reading: Congressional and Other Elections
205 Video: Banned TED Talk: Nick Hanauer
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235 My Expectations
238 Course Learning Activities
248 Instructions for Proposing Your Topic
251 Scoring Rubric
253 How Seminars Will be Graded – Part II
254 How Seminars Will Be Graded – Part III
255 Culminating Survey
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173 Why It Matters
173 Why It Matters
Describe and assess the nature and role of elections in the American political system
Introduction
Elections are the moment of truth in a democracy. Through the vote, The People choose their leaders and thereby signal which policies and programs they want to live under.
At least that’s the ideal.
Just how true is it? How meaningful are elections in the American political system? Do our election processes and practices match up well with our broader democratic ideals and our commitment to political equality? What are the consequences of our elections? Does the vote produce policies that reflect the preferences of the average citizen?
As you work through the material in this section, consider how you might answer the above questions.