| Electoral analysis paper | 20% (60 points) |
| Campaign finance paper | 20%(60 points) |
| Midterm examination | 20%
(60 points) |
| Class and group participation | 15% (45 points) |
| Final examination | 25% (75
points) |
Final grades are figured from a total of 300 points. A's range from
270-300, B's from 240-269, C's from 210-239 and D's from 180-209.
Certain readings marked with a (r) are on closed reserve (2 hours) in the library.
What follows is a schedule of class sessions by topic. We'll usually spend
one day on each topic.
1. Introduction
2. Parties and voters: an overview
3. Introduction to the Ladd Election Analyzer
4. Interest groups and campaign finance in overview
5. The history and functions of parties
6. The puzzle of participation
7. Solving the puzzle
8. State and local nominations and elections
9. Presidential elections: rules
10. Presidential nominations and the fall campaign
11. Evaluating presidential elections
12. I am out of town on April 19, presenting a paper on political activism
in the American electorate. Enjoy your break!
13. ANALYSIS PROJECT PRESENTATIONS IN ROOM CMC 102
14. ANALYSIS PROJECT PRESENTATIONS IN ROOM CMC 102
15. Declining Social Trust in America
16. MIDTERM EXAMINATION (May 1)
17. Polling and political strategy: a videotape presentation
18. The art of political commercials: videotapes
19. The campaign finance thicket
20. Does money talk?
21. Campaign finance: current proposals
22. Interest groups: overview and how they form
23. Interest group influence
24. How groups work in national institutions
25. Parties, groups, and governing
26. CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM PRESENTATIONS
27. CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM PRESENTATIONS
28. CLASS DELIBERATION AND DECISION ON REFORMS
ELECTION ANALYSIS PROJECT
Your first task is to draw up a list of your preferences for which group
you wish to work in. The preferences should be listed in rank order and
handed in on the second day of class. Group assignments will be distributed
on the third day of class.
Once your group forms, it is important to divide up its responsibilities.
The group will first need to examine the related literature. Check political
science journals -- particularly PUBLIC OPINION QUARTERLY, the AMERICAN
POLITICAL SCIENCE REVIEW, AMERICAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, WESTERN
POLITICAL QUARTERLY, POLITY and AMERICAN POLITICS QUARTERLY -- for articles
on public opinion and voting behavior as it relates to the characteristics
you are examining. Check the reserve books concerning voting behavior and
the 1992 elections (see appended list). Useful journal articles can be found
by checking the footnotes in the reserve books. Examining the literature
first gives you an idea of what is commonplace and what is surprising in
the data you are about to examine.
Once the literature review is completed, divide up the subject area so that
each person has a distinct paper topic that relates to your project. You
might subdivide gender, for example, in terms of (A) attitudinal and demographic
variations among women, (B) southern men and women versus other men and
women, (C) male and female Democrats versus Republicans, and (D) abortion
attitudes among male and female voters. Other combinations of paper topics
about gender are certainly possible. Be sure, however, that overall your
group does examine the major characteristics of your topic in the data.
To do this, you might adopt the following procedure. You might first get
information on the characteristics in the overall electorate for each value
of your characteristic(s) (male/female, for example) for each of the following
seven dependent variables: presidential vote, party ID, political views,
views on the national economy, abortion, government/family values and government
taxes/services.
Next, examine each of the eight variables in greater depth. Add to your
original analysis other demographic variables. When studying gender, add
variables such as age, race, region, education and income and examine subcategories
for each of the eight dependent variables. If you are examining marital
status and religion, examine them by variables such as gender, age, race,
region, and education and income and examine subcategories for each of the
eight dependent variables. You will not want to report all of these results,
only those of particular help in depicting variation in attitudes, party
ID and candidate preference. Keep your eyes open for interesting findings.
Once you have finished with the 1992 data, check out 1994 results in reference
to your topic. They can be found in Everett C. Ladd, ed., AMERICA AT THE
POLLS 1994, on closed reserve.
Finally, to examine for change, compare selected findings with the 1988
results. Where is there continuity and where is there change?
Your group presentation in CMC 102 will allow you to call up tables from
the disk onto a projection screen. Decide in advance which ones you want
to show. You may want to present some on paper to us. Be SELECTIVE, though,
because time is limited. Present your most important and interesting findings
and explain WHY they are important and interesting.
Your papers should first state your topic clearly and then relate your findings
to the relevant literature on your topic. Particular surprises in your findings
should be emphasized.
Complete citations must accompany your paper.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE PROJECT
Your first step involves reading pages 238-243 of Sorauf in order to acquaint
yourself with the four possible reform "models." Then write down
your preferences among the models in rank order and hand them to me.
Once the groups are assigned, your first task is to examine possible reforms
that might comport with your model. The sources on closed reserve may help
you (see the appended list), but you also need to examine two periodicals
for additional suggestions. They are CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY and NATIONAL
JOURNAL, both weeklies from D.C. that cover campaign finance. You may also
want to examine recent congressional committee hearings on campaign finance
reform, where various reform ideas are floated. Check with Carolyn Sanford,
the government documents librarian, if you need help locating this material.
Your group goal is to present a list of reforms no longer in two pages in
length during your group presentation. Your two-page handout may include
brief explanations and justifications for your proposals. Remember that
thirty minutes is not a long time to explain complex proposals, so strive
to make your proposals and presentation comprehensible.
During our last day of class we will discuss each group proposal and see
if we can agree upon one of them. Be prepared to consider supporting another
model, if any is to pass!
Your papers will certainly draw on your group research, but must consider
the topic of campaign finance more broadly as well. In your paper feel free
to critique the proposals of each group, but be certain to present a clear
justification for your particular reform ideas as well. Be sure to include
full citations of your sources as well.
RESERVE READINGS FOR GROUP PROJECTS
(the following are on closed reserve for this class unless otherwise noted)
ELECTION ANALYSIS PROJECT
- Gerald M. Pomper, ed., THE ELECTION OF 1992: REPORTS AND INTERPRETATIONS
(uses the Ladd data)
- Everett Carl Ladd, "The 1992 Vote for President Clinton: Another
Brittle Mandate?" POLITICAL SCIENCE QUARTERLY (Spring 1993), PP. 1-28.
(uses the Ladd data)
- Everett Carl Ladd, AMERICA AT THE POLLS 1994 (Ladd data for 1994!)
- Michael Nelson, ed., THE ELECTIONS OF 1992 (uses the Ladd data)
- William Crotty, ed., AMERICA'S CHOICE: THE ELECTION OF 1992 (NOTE: THIS
IS ON RESERVE FOR MY 122 CLASS -- uses the Ladd data)
- James Ceaser and Andrew Busch, UPSIDE DOWN AND INSIDE OUT: THE 1992
ELECTIONS AND AMERICAN POLITICS (uses the Ladd data)
- Elizabeth Adell Cook, Sue Thomas and Clyde Wilcox, THE YEAR OF THE WOMAN:
MYTHS AND REALITIES (4 copies; uses the Ladd data)
- William Flanigan and Nancy Zingale, POLITICAL BEHAVIOR OF THE AMERICAN
ELECTORATE (8th ed., 1994)
- Michael M. Gant and Norman R. Luttbeg, AMERICAN ELECTORAL BEHAVIOR (1995)
- Michael X. Delli Carpini and Ester R. Fuchs, "The Year of the Woman:
Candidates, Voters and the 1992 Elections," POLITICAL SCIENCE QUARTERLY
(Spring 1993), PP. 29-36.
- Walter Dean Burnham, "Realignment Lives: the 1994 Earthquake and
Its Implications,"
- Michael Dawson, BEHIND THE MULE (African American voting behavior)
- Rodolfo O. de la Garza et. al., LATINO VOICES
- Rodolfo O. de la Garza and Louis DeSipio, FROM RHETORIC TO REALITY:
LATINO VOICES IN THE 1988 ELECTIONS
- Katherine Tate, FROM PROTEST TO POLITICS: THE NEW BLACK VOTERS IN AMERICAN
ELECTIONS
- Robert C. Smith and Richard Seltzer, RACE, CLASS AND CULTURE: A STUDY
IN AFRO-AMERICAN PUBLIC OPINION
- Wayne Parent and Paul Stekler, "Black Political Attitudes and Behavior
in the 1990s."
CAMPAIGN FINANCE PROJECT
- Frank J. Sorauf, MONEY IN AMERICAN ELECTIONS
- Larry Sabato, PAYING FOR ELECTIONS
- David Magleby and Candice Nelson, THE MONEY CHASE
- Herbert E. Alexander, FINANCING ELECTIONS: MONEY, ELECTIONS AND POLITICAL
REFORM (4th ed.)
- David E. Price, BRINGING BACK THE PARTIES (pro party model)
- Larry Sabato, THE PARTY'S JUST BEGUN (pro party model)
- Dan Clawson, Alan Neustadtl and Denise Scott, MONEY TALKS: CORPORATE
PACS AND POLITICAL INFLUENCE (for public financing)