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Introduction

Elections are a cornerstone of the democratic process, and they are our third of four linkage institutions in this course. In theory, elections allow the American people to make their voices heard. However, many critics argue that the modern electoral system, especially at the national level, effectively disenfranchises many Americans from the outcome of elections. In this unit, we will investigate how the system works, how and why people vote (and don't vote), and the effect of monied interests on the campaign process.

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My Videos

The Election Process

Campaign Finance Explained

Presidential Primaries

The Electoral College

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Important Files

Campaigns and Elections Study Guide
File Size:	40 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

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Class Links

• Frontline: Big Sky, Big Money
• Historical Electoral College Maps
• Pennsylvania 2016 Election Map
• Pennsylvania 2012 Election Map

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Homework Assignments

​Assignment 1: Candidate Eligibility

• MindTap: What Do You Know about Voting?
• MindTap: What Do You Know about Elections?
• What If?, page 302
• Chapter Introduction, page 303
• Who Wants to Be a Candidate?, pages 303-306
• The Twenty-First Century Campaign, pages 306-308
• The Strategy of Winning, pages 308-309
• Study guide questions 1-6
• Key terms 1-7
• Crash Course: Election Basics
• Crash Course: Political Campaigns
• The Election Process
• MindTap: Technological Advances and the Modern Political Campaign

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​Assignment 2: Campaign Finance

• Financing the Campaign, pages 309-313
• Study guide questions 7-8
• Key terms 8-10
• Campaign Finance Explained
• How Campaign Finance Works
• Campaign Finance Reform Corrupts

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Assignment 3: More Campaign Finance

• Interest Groups and Campaign Finance: Reaction to New Rules, pages 314-320
• Study guide question 9
• Key terms 11-18
• Oh, Super PACs! A Music Video
• Super PACs - What Are They?
• What Is Citizens United?
• Citizens United v. FEC
• MindTap: Campaign Finance, PACs, and SuperPACs

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​Assignment 4: Presidential Elections

• Running for President: The Longest Campaign, pages 320-321
• The 2012 Primary Season, pages 321-323
• Study guide questions 10-11
• Key terms 19-23
• Presidential Primaries
• Primary Elections Explained
• Trump's Victory and the American Education System
• MindTap: The Primary System and the Nomination Process

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​Assignment 5: Voting in the United States

• Voting in the United States, pages 323-331
• Study guide questions 12-14
• Key Terms 24-25
• Crash Course: How Voters Decide
• MindTap: Characteristics of U.S. Voters
• MindTap: Partisan Identification and Vote Choice
• MindTap: Elections and the Media

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Assignment 6: Legal Restrictions on Voting

• Legal Restrictions on Voting, pages 331-334
• Primary Elections, General Elections, and More, pages 334-336
• Study guide questions 15-16
• Key terms 26-31
• MindTap: The History of Voting Rights in the United States

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​Assignment 7: Conducting Elections

• Brand-new video below!! Let me know what you think.
• How Are Elections Conducted?, pages 336-338
• The Electoral College, pages 338-341
• Study guide questions 17-20
• Key Terms 29-35
• The Electoral College
• How the Electoral College Works
• Does Your Vote Count?
• MindTap: Methods of Voting and the Electoral Process
• MindTap: The Electoral College

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​Assignment 8: Test Review

• Chapter Summary - pages 342-343
• MindTap: Chapter 9 Quiz