Blog post 2.3 "Conflict within a party"

Read the following article from The Atlantic about the uneasy relationship between the Tea Party and the Republican Party.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/10/the-conservative-war-on-the-gop/280637/

Write a paragraph summary of the article and answer the following questions.

1. Why are conservative opinion leaders upset with the Republican Party?
2. Why are the conservative voters upset with the Republican Party?
3. What does Glen Beck want people to do instead of give money to the Republican Party?  Why would he want them to stop giving to the party that is his best option??
4. How would you describe the current public opinion of the Republican Party?
5. What would happen to the Republican Party if the Tea Party split off of it?
6. What does Gillespe say the effect of the Tea Party running as a third party would be??
7. What does Tim Pawlenty say is to blame for minority voices being so loud in the parties?
8. What do you think the future of the Republican Party will be?

Blog Post 2.2 "Public Opinion & the Govt. Shutdown"

Read the latest public opinion polls from USA Today about the public's opinion of  how elections can be changed in order to solve the problems in Washington.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/10/14/americans-election-policy-usa-today-bipartisan-policy-center-poll/2983159/

Write a one paragraph summary of the article and answer the following questions.

1. Why would we consider these poll results to be valid?  What do you call the number given by the pollsters?
2. How has California addressed the problem of unfair redistricting?
3. How would candidates for office have to change their approach if they did not have "safe districts"?
4. How would adding independent voters to the party primary electorates change the primaries?
5. How do Democrats and Republicans feel differently about voter ID laws?
6. What proposed reforms could make voting easier? How would each do that?

Blog Post 2.1 "Changes to the Electorate"

Welcome back!!!!

For your first blog of the second nine weeks, look at the following maps that analyze the results of the 2012 presidential election.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/election-map-2012/analysis/

For each of the maps: DESCRIBE two conclusions you could draw from each of the maps.  You should incorporate your knowledge of demographics and likely voter ideologies.

Also, answer the following questions.

1.What is the impact of the increasing number of Hispanic voters?
2. How is the idea of "pocketbook voting" reflected in the second map?
3. What areas are experiencing downturns in voter turnout?  What areas are increasing?
4. How were the results different in Shelby & Davidson County in Tennessee different from the rest of the state?  What do you know about voter demographics that explains this?