1. In democracies, elections are supposed to be the means by which the population has some degree of control over government. How? Do elections in fact convert popular preferences into public policy? How might they not?
2. The American Government textbook states that electoral process in the U.S. insulates the decision making process from elections. How?
3. What has research told us about the factors which condition how voters make decisions about how to vote. Apply this to the current political landscape and predict how this might influence how people might vote in 2008?
4. Compare the strategies Democrats and Republicans used in the 2004 elections. What factors put Republicans over the top?
5. What are the key controversies associated with the funding of elections? How in fact are elections funded in the United States?
6. Turnout in elections has declined steadily over time. What factors account for this?
7. How has Texas restricted access to the polls over its history?
8. States are responsible for organizing elections. How does Texas organize its elections?
9. Outline the primary system in Texas. What distinguishes primary elections from general elections?
10. Review the U.S. Constitution and discuss the various ways that each office is filled according to the document. What is the purpose of this arrangement?
