Blog Post 2.7 "Redistricting & Gerrymandering"

Read the following article from The Washington Post about the impacts of redistricting on this most recent election.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/harold-meyerson-gops-gerrymandered-advantages/2012/11/13/4785e4d6-2d2f-11e2-a99d-5c4203af7b7a_story.html

WRITE A TWO PARAGRAPH SUMMARY OF THE ARTICLE and then answer the following questions.

1. Why were the House districts changed for this election?
2.Why were Republicans able to draw the district lines?
3. If the Democratic Senators were winning statewide elections by such large margins, but the House seats were lopsided wins for Republicans, what do you know has happened during the redistricting of those states?
4.  What is the disparity in Democrat vs. Republican seats in the states that Meyerson discussed?
5.  How does the author defend Democratic gerrymandering in Illinois?
6.  How does California's plan eliminate gerrymandering?
7. Why does he finish by saying that House Republicans do not have "a mandate" to carry out their policies?

Blog Post 2.6 "The 113th Congress"

Read the following 2 info-graphics from Time magazine.

http://swampland.time.com/2012/11/07/the-senate-after-33-races-a-few-new-faces/
http://swampland.time.com/2012/11/07/the-house-election-2012/

Then read the following editorial from The New York Times.  
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/13/opinion/a-new-chance-for-the-senate.html?hp

Write a 2 paragraph summary of what to expect from the 113th Congress and answer the following questions.

1. Why would Harry Reid had the chance to get filibuster reform done earlier than 2011?
2. What was the original intention of the filibuster?
3. How has the role of the filibuster changed in the Senate?
4. What is the way filibuster reform may get done with a simple majority vote?
5. What had Republican Senators achieved with the filibuster in the last term of Congress?
6. In the last 50 years, how often have the Democrats controlled the Senate?
7. Which presidents had to deal with an opposition Senate?
8. Why were Joe Connely and Claire McCaskill elected so easily?
9. What is unique about Wisconsin's new senator?
10. What does it mean to say the independent senators may caucus with the Democrats?
11. Which presidents have had to deal with an opposition House?
12. Which states had the largest gains for Republicans in the House?
13. Which states had gains for Democrats in the House?

Post 2.5 "Demographic Changes and the Future of the GOP"

Read the following article from the New York Times about the shifting demographics of America and how the Republican Party will have to react.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/08/us/politics/obamas-victory-presents-gop-with-demographic-test.html?hp&_r=0

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

1. How would you describe the demographics of the voters that made up the Obama coalition?
2.  What is the problem with the Republican's "Southern Strategy"?
3. How did Obama do among white voters and older voters?
4. How will Republicans have to change their policy stances to appeal to groups they generally do not have the support of?
5. What is the typical Republican stance on immigration? Why is that a problem as the party looks to the future?
6. What approach to campaigning did Romney take in minority-majority communities?
7. How will Republicans likely change the types of people they run for office?
8. Why are Republicans saying that it's not time to panic yet?
9. What do you think the Republican Party will do to try to be more successful in future elections?

2.4 'Interest Groups & Climate Change Follow - Up"

Check out the following websites that  follow - up to the documentary from PBS's Frontline.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/environment/climate-of-doubt/timeline-the-politics-of-climate-change/

1. What was the Kyoto protocol?
2. How did Exxon help convince George W. Bush to withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol?
3. Which tactics were used by the "Carbon Dioxide is Life" campaign and The Inconvenient Truth film?  Why is it this tactic?
4. How did Exxon change its position in 2008?
5. Once bipartisan consensus was reached by Former Speaker Gingrich and Former Speaker Pelosi, how did critics of climate change alter their tactics?
6.Why did Obama's carbon limiting plan fail?
7. In 2011, when the majority in the House switched, what happened to climate bills?
8 What did each party convention have to say about climate change?

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/environment/climate-of-doubt/how-does-climate-change-factor-into-decision-2012/

9. What went wrong with Obama's first investment in clean energy?
10. How did the cap and trade program get "spun"?
11. Why would it be dangerous for Obama to use the EPA to control plants?
12. Which policy makers are the major players in any potential climate change bill that could come?
13. What interest groups are involved in the issue now?


http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/environment/climate-of-doubt/steve-coll-how-exxon-shaped-the-climate-debate/

14.  How was Exxon's initial approach different than other groups?
15. What was Exxon able to do with all of its money?
16. What kind of people helped advocate Exxon's agenda?
17. What finally convinced Exxon that it should take a new approach?
18. When did Exxon stop funding research that cast doubt on climate change?
19.  How did Exxon work with the Heartland Institute?

Blog Post 2.3 "Interest Group Impact on Public Opinion"

Because this assignment is longer.  It will count twice. It will count for an assignment in both your blog assignments and once in your homework category.  You have until November 6th to complete this.  

Your assignment for 2.3 is to watch the documentary produced by PBS's Frontline program about how interest groups and  companies have been able to make climate change essentially disappear as an issue in this year's election.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/climate-of-doubt/

Watch the documentary, and write a three paragraph summary of the movie.
Also, answer the following questions....

1.  Which tactic are these interest groups using during the beginning of the episode as they convince the public that global warming is a non-issue?  Why do you think it's effective?
2.  When members of this group are testifying before Congress, what tactic are they using?
3.  What types of policies do Americans For Prosperity try to influence? (you'll have to look them up)
4.  Why do you think that some of these scientists are publicly stating that global warming is not a problem?
5.  What are the policy goals of the American Tradition Institute?
6.  What was behind the change in stance on climate change from the Congressmen?
7. What types of businesses are supporting these interest groups?
8. What does the money from Donors Change buy the group?
9.  Explain why you think these interest groups were so successful in removing climate change from the agenda in this election.

Blog Post 2.2 'Final Phase of Campaign Season"

Read the following article from Time magazine.   
http://swampland.time.com/2012/10/19/campaign-moves-into-final-phase-driven-by-electoral-math/?xid=newsletter-weekly

Play around with the Electoral College calculator math (first link in the article).
Write a 2 paragraph summary of the article and answer the following questions.

1. What does the author mean when he uses the term "shrinking battlefield"?
2. What nine states does the author say are in play?
3. How are Maine's electoral votes different than most other states?
4. What states must Romney absolutely win in order to win the election?
5. According to the calculator, which states are up for grabs?
6. According to the calculator, which states, if any, is Obama likely to lose that he won in 2008?
7. Using the calculator, what is the least amount of states a person could win the election by?  What would those states be?
8. What will likely be the deciding state in this election?

Blog Post 2.1 "Obama's lack of vision"

Read the following article from Politico about how the candidates are spending their campaign money on ads.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1012/82217.html

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

1. Why is Romney paying more for ads in Ohio than Obama?
2. What kind of audience is Romney going after by focusing on broadcast networks?
3. Why is Romney's campaign handling his ad purchases "in house"?
4. What advantages is this giving the Obama campaign?
5. What would be the advantages and disadvantages of buying ads months early?
6. What would be the advantages and disadvantages of buying ads right before they air?
7. What does it tell you if the Obama campaign is outspending the Romney campaign in swing states even if they pay less per ad?
8. Which strategy do you think is a better one and why?