Political Science 710
Final Exam Question
Fall, 2008
I have decided to ask only one essay question
that allows you to bring in many of the facets of the discussions
and readings for the semester. The essay is due no later than the 16th
of December. Without intending to sound coy, your essay need not be
“overly” long. I really can’t set a specific page length because it
depends on how you answer it.
1.
Using the 2008 election as the venue by
which to understand the contemporary American voting public, to what
extent has America undergone a political
realignment? In answering the question please evaluate at least the
following using the relevant readings and class discussions. It is
obvious that I need to know that you have read and comprehended all
of the assigned readings. So, you are obligated to refer to them
throughout your answer.
a.
Was 2008 a continuation or reversal of the
2006 vote?
b.
Was 2008 a continuation of a “dealigning” or
“realigning” electoral period in American politics?
c.
Extent to which candidates—and thereby
media—influenced the outcome of the election? How important were the
structural effects—e.g. the economy compared to media effects on the
outcome?
d.
The impact of and/or invisibility of the
politics of race and class in the 2008 election.
e.
To the extent there has been a realignment
what does it look like—which groups are coalescing around what
long-term issues?
f.
Has American public opinion moved to the
“center” or to the “left”? In what ways is American public opinion
“off center”?
g.
If there is a realignment toward the
Democrats, given Bartels thesis how might that impact the “have nots”?
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