Election Discussion Board

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. – That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”

Assignment:

In the context of the 2018 elections, to what degree does our government actually reflect the consent of the governed? Or does it just reflect the interests of various elites?

Source Material:

• Open to Debate e-text and corresponding Power Point Lecture outlines and Video Lecture clips (in Canvas Modules).

• Chapter Six Public Opinion
• Chapter Seven Interest Groups
• Chapter Eight Parties
• Chapter Nine Campaigns and Elections

• Online Sources:

There is a lot of material here. You are not required to use it all. If you would like to bring in other sources you are welcome to do so, however, utilize such material in the context the course materials and this assignment and please cite your sources clearly.

Trump and Democracy:

– Trump’s Tool Kit Does Not Include the Constitution; no wonder we are losing faith in our democracy.
– https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/08/opinion/trump-democracy-midterm-elections.html (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

– Russia Wanted Trump to Win: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/17/opinion/russia-interference-elections-trump.html (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

– Trump and the Rule of Law: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/29/opinion/the-sense-of-justice-that-were-losing.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ty_20180430&nl=opinion-today&nl_art=0&nlid=63166887emc=edit_ty_20180430&ref=headline&te=1
(Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

– Donald Trump and the Stress of Liberal Democracy: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/03/19/donald-trump-and-the-stress-test-of-liberal-democracy (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Government and the Economy

– "Ten Years After the Crash" https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/08/27/ten-years-after-the-crash (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

– Regional Ideological Differences
– https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/02/opinion/trumpland-economy-polarization.html
(Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Lies and the Media:

– Newspapers Denounce Trump's Attack on the Free Press https://www.kpbs.org/news/2018/aug/16/hundreds-of-newspapers-denounce-trumps-attacks-on/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
– https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/01/donald-trump-lies-liar-effect-brain-214658 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
– https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/08/technology/twitter-fake-news-research.html (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
– https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/08/opinion/gop-trump-kavanaugh-conspiracies-partisan.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
– https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2018/05/01/president-trump-has-made-3001-false-or-misleading-claims-so-far/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.7d3a35148158 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
– https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-washington/trumps-escalating-war-on-the-truth-is-on-purpose
(Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Civil Rights/Voter Suppression:

– Government Repression of Voting Rights: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/12/us/voting-rights-voter-id-suppression.html (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

– Georgia: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/15/us/politics/georgia-abrams-kemp-voting.html?module=inline (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

– Harassment of Female Candidates: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/24/us/politics/women-harassment-elections.html
(Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

– Is This the Year Women Win? https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/29/us/politics/is-this-the-year-women-break-the-rules-and-win.html?nytapp=true (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Gerrymandering:

– https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/10/03/upshot/how-the-new-math-of-gerrymandering-works-supreme-court.html site. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

– https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/01/17/upshot/pennsylvania-gerrymandering.html
– https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/02/19/upshot/pennsylvania-new-house-districts-gerrymandering.html (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

– America's Warped Elections on Gerrymandering: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/25/opinion/gerrymandering-midterms-2018.html (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Money and Elections:

– Unlimited Campaign Donations: http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2011/11/16/142314581/illegal-during-watergate-unlimited-campaign-contributions-now-fair-game (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Tips for Success:

• I will be looking for direct references to assigned readings and podcasts (author and page # citations are adequate). Again, this is an assignment in which I am looking for your ability to display your knowledge of course materials!

  – I recommend composing your content in an offline text editor and then copying and pasting in post. That way you will have an offline copy of all of your hard work!
  – You are required to reply to two of your peers in this forum; reply first to those students who have not had a lot of replies. In your replies, provide some thoughtful feedback on their ideas. Are you all basing your decisions on the same type of reasoning? Might you be able to point someone to some resources from the course that they would find helpful?

Grading Rubric:
Theme/Argument	7 points
Use of Sources Material	7 points
Response to Two Peers	4 points
Writing Mechanics:	2 points
Total possible:	20 points