In this forum you will discuss important material from the PowerPoints titled Participation and Elections Online.ppt. and Campaigns and Finance Online.ppt. Your posts should include combining concepts covered in the PowerPoints rather than simply repeating the material form them. Keep that in mind as you craft responses that you should include specific material and examples from the PowerPoint presentation. Remember too that your posts are graded according to the rubric at the bottom of this description so the quality of your post, including the amount of information from the PowerPoint you refer to, will determine the number of points you earn for this post. you must post an initial response based on the questions listed below, For this week's post answer one (only one) of the following questions using material and examples provided in the PowerPoint presentation. The amount of information you incorporate from the PowerPoint partly determines your score. Your score also depends on the level of understanding of the material you demonstrate. You don't have to be an expert in the material but you must make it clear that you have carefully read and thought about the material before writing your post.

Here are the forum topics:

1. Pick two of the forms of conventional and unconventional participation listed in the Political Participation Online PowerPoint presentation. How effective do you think those two are in enabling citizens to influence government and public policy (laws)? Which of all the types of political participation do you think is most likely to succeed in affecting public policy and why?
2. Of the four types of primary elections described in the Political Participation and Elections PowerPoint presentation which would you implement in California if you had to power to do so? Why do you think that one is the best way to pick candidates for office? What effect do you think the type you picked would have on a presidential primary election?
3. Discuss some of the problems with the electoral college. Do you think the benefits of the electoral college outweigh the problems with it? Which of the proposals for altering the electoral college do you think would be most effective or even possible?
4. Where do most candidates get their campaign funds? If you were a candidate are there any other sources of money you would try to get money from? What is different among the current candidates for president when it comes to raising campaign funds?
5. How was the Supreme Court’s logic in the McConnell vs. FEC decision different from the logic in the Citizens United vs. FEC decision? What led to the difference in the decisions? Which decision to you think did the best job of improving the democratic process in the U.S. and why do you think that?