CONSTITUTION AND FEDERALISM

1) What are the most important features of our Constitution? How do these features guard against majority tyranny on the one hand and potential despots on the other? What do these features suggest about the Founders' view of human nature?

2) In Federalist 10, James Madison distinguishes between direct democratic and republican government. What is the difference between them? Which did Madison prefer for the United States, and why? Do you agree? What arguments might be made to support the alternative?

3) What is the task of a representative in American government? Compare and contrast the "delegate" and "trustee" theories of representation. What are the rationales for each? Which do you think is more prevalent in the US today? Is this good or bad for representative democracy in the United States?

4) What were the main issues around which the Federalist-Anti-Federalist debate revolved? What does this say about their respective views on human nature, patriotism and participation in government? What were the weaknesses inherent in the Articles of Confederation, and how does the Constitution attempt to remedy them?

5) Discuss the different kinds of federalism and their evolution over time. Have the fears of the Anti-Federalists regarding the diminution of state authority due to a strong national government been realized? Discuss with reference to different kinds of federalism.

PRESIDENCY

1) How much power should the president have? Consider the following tensions: stewardship v. clerkship views, Taftian vs. Rooseveltian views, presidential v. congressional views, Article II and the framers' intent.

2) The American political system is typically characterized as "presidential." However, it has also been argued that this characterization is inaccurate since it exaggerates the role that is actually played by presidents in the governing process. To what extent does the president play a more central role in American politics than the other branches of government? Consider, as well, how the answer to this question might be different for different points in American history. What factors may have led to the changing balance of power among the branches of government?

3) At various points in American history, presidents have sought to control public opinion through their use of the presidency as a "bully pulpit." In addition, presidents have recently come to rely heavily on polling data and other measures of public opinion in making decisions while in office. What factors may have led to this changing relationship between the president and the public? Do you see this trend as a positive or negative development?

4) How do events in the international arena shape presidential strength? Do domestic events have similar effects?

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

1) Why do you think there has been a major shift toward primaries versus caucuses in the presidential selection process? What are the pros and cons of primaries? Of caucuses?

2) What are the "several campaigns" that comprise each campaign? Why have presidential campaigns been beginning earlier in each election cycle for the last several decades (candidates now announce their intention to run over a year before any primaries or caucuses are held)? What role does money play in the electoral process?

3) What is "frontloading"? How has the change in the schedule of state primaries affected the presidential campaign? What potential remedies are there for the weaknesses of this system? What are the costs and benefits of the proposed alternative systems discussed in the textbook?

4) Many have complained about the undemocratic nature of the Electoral College. Why did the Founders create the College? If not democratic choice, what are the principles upon which the College operates? What are the dangers of eliminating the College? What reforms are feasible to improve the representation of the College?

5) What function do political parties play in presidential elections? What are the prospects for third parties? Would the demise of the two-party system improve presidential elections?

CONGRESS

1) Do you think that the rise of divided government has been a positive or negative development for American government? Explain.

2) Discuss the relationship between the political pressures of interest groups (lobbyists), constituents, and party leaders, that members of Congress face. How do these competing forces interact to affect the work of Congress?

3) Characterize the Senate and the House in terms of their differences both institutionally (as in their constitutionally enumerated powers) and culturally (their traditions and self-determined rules). How do these differences help to promote or retard effective representation and the creation of good legislation?

4) Discuss the organization of the House and Senate, considering especially the role of party leadership, seniority and the committee system. How do these groups work to shape the legislative agenda of Congress? How do they affect how a bill really becomes a law?

5) What is Congress' relationship to the President and the Executive Branch? Why has the center of political power shifted between Congress and the President over time?

JUDICIARY

1) What is judicial review and what role did Marbury v Madison play in establishing it? Should the Supreme Court be the final interpreter of the Constitution? Should the Court exercise restraint in striking down the actions of the other branches or should it be more active?

2) Where in the Constitution is the "right to privacy"? What role did this right play in Roe v Wade? How does this controversy demonstrate the role of politics in the Supreme Court?

3) How has the Supreme Court's interpretation of the Bill of Rights changed over time? How and when have different rights been "incorporated" and applied to the states?

4) Alexander Hamilton echoed the Federalist notion that the Judiciary would prove to be the "least dangerous branch" of the new American government. Has this ever been the case and would you consider it to be the case today?

5) Throughout American history, how have those seeking to secure civil rights for blacks (and other racial minorities) and those seeking to secure equal rights for women worked together? When, and for what reasons, have these groups experienced conflict with each other?

POLITICAL PARTIES

1) Does the United States need a third party? What are the factors that inhibit the rise of third parties in the American system? Why does a plurality voting system work to suppress third parties and moderate ideology? What changes in the political system would aid the rise of third parties?

2) What is a political machine? What functions did the party machines perform? How were they able to operate? What caused their demise? What is patronage? The spoils system?

3) Many of the founders did not want political parties in the United States. Why? What is the origin of party conflict in the United States? Are political parties good for democracy?

4) What are the organizational strengths of the Republican Party? The Democratic Party? The two great American political parties have undergone serious changes in the course of American political history. In light of this is it possible to say that the parties are have displayed a consistent ideology?

5) What is a political party? What key functions do political parties perform in our democracy? It appears that political parties have weakened. Is this true? If so, why? What can be done? Should something be done?

VOTING BEHAVIOR AND PARTICIPATION & ROLE OF MONEY

1) What are the different judgments people use to determine their vote choice? Which of these do you think are--or should be--the most important influences on vote choice?

2) Familiarize yourself with the current campaign finance restrictions (i.e. contribution limits, ban on soft money, restriction on independent expenditures, etc.). What was the rationale behind the McCain-Feingold bill? In your opinion, does the McCain-Feingold bill represent an improvement in the campaign finance system, or does it present its own set of problems?

3) What is the difference between prospective and retrospective voting? Is either basis for casting a vote more rational? Why or why not?

4) Why is voter turnout so low in the United States compared with other democratic industrialized nations? Is low voter turnout even something we should be concerned about? How can voter turnout be improved?

POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS AND THE STYLE OF POLITICS

1) What is a primary and who holds them? What is the difference between an open and closed primary? What strategies do parties employ in open primary states?

2) What is an incumbent? How does being an incumbent affect a congressperson's chance of winning an election? What are the other three matters most affecting congressional races? How do midterm congressional elections differ from congressional elections held during presidential elections?

3) Several significant voting and ballot reforms, such as internet voting and absentee ballot voting for everyone, have been proposed. Do we need reform? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current system of public polling places? Of these reforms which is the best and why?

4) What are the five different forms of campaigns identified in the reading? How have political campaigns changed over the course of American political history? What are the main reasons for these changes? Do you view these changes as healthy or harmful for democracy?

BUREAUCRACY

1) What are some of the ways in which the bureaucracy contributes to the policy making process? Do you consider these contributions a positive or negative development? What are two controls each of the following institutions have on the bureaucracy: President, Congress, and judicial branch.

2) What is the history of civil service reform in the United States? What events have led to changes in civil service laws? What have been the ramifications of civil service reform?

3) How has the struggle for political supremacy between the President and Congress helped to create the modern Federal bureaucracy? How has it affected the policy making process? How has it affected the size of government?

4) To who is the Federal bureaucracy accountable? Does Congress delegate too much authority to the bureaucracy? What is the importance of accountability in administrative government?

5) What insures that the merit system for hiring federal bureaucrats is correctly implemented? What accounts for the significant disparity among men and women in high level civil service positions? Should this disparity be attributed to a failing on the part of this system?

INTEREST GROUPS

1) What did Madison think of "factions" in Federalist 10? Do interest groups have too much or too little power in American politics today? What are the pros and cons of interest group involvement in politics?

2) What are the different types of interest groups? How do they influence the political process? What is the origin of American interest groups? Why have they expanded dramatically since the Progressive Era and further still since the 1960s? Does an increase in the number of interest groups necessarily indicate an increase in political participation?

3) What are interest groups? What do they do? What are some prominent interest groups?

4) What is lobbying? What other functions do interest groups perform in the political process, in elections? What are PACs?

5) What is a collective good? What is a free rider or the "free rider problem"? What threat does this pose to the formation of interest groups? How can groups avoid these problems?

PUBLIC OPINION AND THE MASS MEDIA

1) O'Connor and Sabato define 'political socialization' as "the learning process by which people acquire their political beliefs and values." What are the most important influences on this opinion-forming process? Do you feel that some of these influences have played a greater role than others in the past? What about the future?

2) Despite the relatively high literacy and high school graduation rates in the US, Americans' actual political knowledge is quite low. Why? Is this "dangerous for democracy?" What are some possible steps that could be taken to enhance our collective political knowledge and perhaps increase voter turnout?

3) How is polling used in politics? How has it changed over time? What are some possible problems and shortcomings with certain polling procedures? Is there too much polling in America? Have politicians become too reliant on poll results? Have voters? Does polling have undue influence on election outcomes? As O'Connor and Sabato posit, "do the polls drive public opinion, or does public opinion drive the polls?"

4) What are public opinion polls and who discovered polling techniques? How are they different from straw polls? What is the difference between stratified and non-stratified? Telephone and In-person interview methods? What kinds of political polls are there? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using public opinion polls?

5) How do politicians use public opinions polls? How do journalists? Are public opinion polls good for the American political system?