Since I'll be on the road, I thought I'd put a second assignment up. This one won't be due until 7/31.
GOVT 2305: It's worth keeping in mind that in a democratic republic - where elections to public office are prominent and never ending - politics is never far behind anything. This includes the recent decision in the
Hobby Lobby case.
On the surface, this case was just about whether a privately held corporation could withhold coverage of certain types of birth control it judges to violate the religious views of those who own the company. Looked at this way, the case was about religious freedom. But since it concerned the religious freedom to impose on birth control practices that many women commonly use, it is also about birth control.
Democrats see an electoral opportunity in this.
Women tend to vote slightly more Democrat than Republican - this is referred to as the
gender gap. Since women use birth control more than men, the party sees an opportunity to mobilize women who may have otherwise sat out the upcoming election this November.This could be good news for Democrats because many had predicted the Republican Party was likely to control the U.S. Senate after the election and that Democrats had little chance of controlling the U.S. House of Representatives.
Democrats apparently think that this focus on birth control, and the possibility that employers might be able to keep it off insurance plans, could tip the scales in their direction. Maybe they'll be able to hold on to the Senate - perhaps they can also take over the House.
Elections tend to be won by whichever side is the most mobilized, so they are trying to use this issue to do just that. In this assignment I want you to evaluate this strategy and determine whether it is likely to work. Will attention to birth control provide an electoral advantage to the Democratic Party in the elections this November?
Below I've posted a variety of stories that should get you going:
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Democrats Are in a Perilous Position in 2014 Senate Races.
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The 2014 Election Is the Least Important in Years.
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How big could the GOP House majority get?
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Can birth control help Democrats keep the Senate?
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Dems Seek Political Edge in Contraception Ruling.
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Republicans Accuse Democrats of Using Hobby Lobby Fallout to ‘Score Election Year Points’
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The data is brutal: the GOP has a real birth control problem.
GOVT 2306:An area that I spend far too little time on - one of many to be honest - is conflict between the state and local governments in the state. Each session of the legislature features disputes over what the state is willing to allow local government to do - often this has to do with taxes and local regulations. Conflict between state and local power has been a central feature of Texas government since at least the end of Civil War when Republicans tried to use the power of the state to impose national principles on local governments. Local areas pushed back and the power of local governments is written in the constitution of 1876.
But remember that a key point made in the power points is that recognizing cities - and issuing city charters - is a power reserved to the states. Cities have no legal existence apart from states, though as a matter of fact, they do - especially the big ones like Houston. The states allows cities to function as cities, but cities have political cultures that make them distinct entities with policy preferences that are not necessarily in line with those of the Texas Legislature.
There are a variety of areas of disagreement between the state and cities. One that has come up recently concerns the consequences of hydraulic fracturing. While it has been beneficial to the oil and gas industry - and the Texas economy in general - there are concerns that it has multiple negative consequences, including polluting ground water, destroying local road (those truck are heavy) and causing small earthquakes.
Since cities and local governments often bear the brunt of these costs, many have begin pushing back against fracking. Now that list includes the first city in Texas to do so: Denton.
I want you to read up on the conflict - with a focus on what is happening in Denton - and detail it as much as possible. What forces are lining up on either side of the issue? How can we draw a line between what the state of Texas gets to allow and what the cities can prevent? Go further and try to figure our what other forces are at work here and how it might work itself out.
What is happening in Denton could foreshadow what might happen here. There's lot's of drilling going in in our area - as I'm sure you are aware.
Here are a few places to begin your reading:
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Denton could become 1st Texas city to ban fracking.
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North Texas city rejects partial fracking ban.
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Texas city weighs ban on new fracking permits.
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Why A Texas City May Ban Fracking.
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Denton Council Punts Fracking Ban Proposal To Voters.
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Former Texas officials warn Denton against fracking ban.
