POLITICAL PARTIES & ELECTIONS, FALL 2009

 

DAILY SCHEDULE – TOPICS, READING ASSIGNMENTS

 

 

This web page has links to all handouts distributed in class (“Topics covered" column) as well as additional readings, exam study guides and other materials.  If this schedule changes for some reason, the web version will be changed and should be considered the "official" schedule; I promise not to change the schedule without alerting you first!

 

                                                                                                                                    Assignments

             Date               Topics covered                        Reading                              &  announcements

T September 8

Introduction to the study of parties and elections

 

None

 

Th September 10

American political parties and the 2-party system

 

Blog link for Q&A on September 10 reading

 

Hershey 1, 2

 

T September 15

The party core: structure and membership

 

Q&A on September 15-17 reading

 

Hershey 3, 4, 5

 

Th September 17

Party roles in legislatures, the executive branch and the courts

 

Hershey 13, 14; article “Nastier, Nosier, Costlier – and Better”

 

T September 22

Intro to presidential elections, 2008 race

 

Q&A on September 22-24 reading

 

 

Wayne 1, Nelson 1, BF 5

 

Th September 24

Campaign finance

Wayne 2, Hershey 12, Nelson 8

list of group assignment topics posted by today

 

T September 29

Citizen participation and voter turnout

 

Q&A on September 29-October 1 reading

 

Wayne 3, Hershey 8, BF 1

 

Th October 1

Party identification, party systems

Hershey 6 and 7, BF 3

groups, topics for third party presentations determined today in class

 

T October 6

NOBEL CONFERENCE

no class

first exam study guide posted by today

 

Th October 8

Party coalition differences; polling

 

Q&A on October 8 reading

 

BF 2, 6, 8

class today includes time for exam-related questions

 

first exam Q&A blog post

T October 13

FIRST EXAM

 

 

 

Th October 15

Third parties, an overview

 

Q&A on October 15 reading, October 20 material

 

third party reading to be posted

 

 

T October 20

Group presentations on third parties

Group handouts:

Free Soil Party

People’s Party/populists

Prohibition Party

T Roosevelt/Bull Moose

E Debs/Socialist Party

R LaFollette

S Thurmond/Dixiecrats

G Wallace

J Anderson

R Perot

group presentation handouts should be e-mailed to Chris by 8 pm Monday, October 19

Th October 22

Primary elections, nomination processes

 

Q&A on October 22-29 reading

 

Hershey 9, Wayne 4

 

T October 27

FALL BREAK

no class

research paper topic is due one week from today J

 

Th October 29

Congressional elections

 

BF 10, Nelson 5

 

T November 3

Presidential nominations and party conventions

 

Q&A on November 3-5 reading

 

Wayne 5-6 and appendix B; drop Hershey 10

inform Chris of your research paper topic by today in class

Th November 5

Presidential general election strategy and tactics  CLASS CANCELLED, material  moved to Nov. 10

 

Wayne 7, BF 9 and 11; drop Hershey 11

 

T November 10

Presidential general election strategy and tactics (originally Nov. 5)

 

Q&A on November 10-12 reading

 

Wayne 7, BF 9 and 11; drop Hershey 11

second exam study guide posted by today

 

Th November 12

Media roles, coverage and bias (originally Nov. 10)

Wayne 8, Nelson 6, BF 4 and 7 (originally Nov. 10)

class today includes time for exam-related questions

 

second exam Q&A blog post

 

T November 17

SECOND EXAM

 

 

 

Th November 19

The 2008 election: choosing candidates, how Obama won

 

Q&A on November 19-24 reading

 

Nelson 2; Wayne 9 (Wayne 9 moved from Nov. 12)

(Nelson 3 moved to Nov. 24)

Research paper thesis, preliminary source list due to Chris by Monday, November 23, 12 noon (DATE CHANGE)

 

T November 24

The 2008 election: interpreting the outcome

 

Nelson 3, 7, 9

(Nelson 3 moved from Nov. 19)

(Nelson 4 dropped for now)

 

Th November 26

THANKSGIVING BREAK

 

no class

 

T December 1

Air Wars: air time and messages

 

Q&A on ALL Air Wars reading Dec. 1-3-8

 

West 1, 2, 3

 

Th December 3

Air Wars: media coverage, agenda setting

 

West 4, 5, 6

 

T December 8

Air Wars: the overall impact of advertisements

 

West 7, 8, 9

Research paper due Wednesday, December 9 by 5 pm!

Th December 10

Reforming parties and elections

 

Q&A on December 10 reading

 

Hershey 15 and 16, Wayne 10

final exam study guide posted by today

T December 15

Final thoughts

no new reading

final exam review, course evaluation in class today

 

final exam Q&A blog post

 

 

 

 

Saturday, December 19

FINAL EXAM

10:30 am – 12:30 pm

Old Main 06

 

both sections are together for the final exam