Reference no: EM132193819

Instructions: Choose ONE of the following prompts and write a 5-8 page paper on that subject. The prompts provided are broad and can be addressed in several ways. Therefore, I am not looking for a right or wrong answer to the question but rather for you to think critically about the American political party system.

Each question is multi-faceted which means that students have the opportunity to write in both an expository and a persuasive manner. While I encourage you to incorporate current events and your own perspective into the paper, note that this should not be a pure opinion piece. Demonstrate that you've learned from this class by clearly referencing theories, concepts, and examples from the required readings. Remember to cite all sources, including those within the syllabus.

Question :

1) Given geographical heterogeneity (e.g., a Democrat from New York is not ideologically identical to a Democrat from Mississippi), how well does the theory of issue ownership (Module 4) explain electoral outcomes?

Defend your position and provide current examples. Historically, parties have been able to both form and fracture according to one issue (Module 3). Which current political issues have the ability to splinter today's Democratic and Republican Parties? Why?

In what ways might the national party machine (Module 2) prevent this from happening? Due to the rapidly changing landscape of (digital) political communication (Module 8), in what ways might future office-seekers have more or less freedom in shaping their own political image? Explain your rationale.

2) Evaluate the work of Fiorina and others as it relates to political polarization (Module 5). Which author, in your opinion, provides the truest representation of American political ideology? Justify your position.

To what extent do the concepts of attitudinal independents vs. behavioral independents support or refute the notion of a ‘culture war'? Explain your reasoning. Is ‘partisanized' language (Module 7) the catalyst for or the result of ideological divisions within politics?

Support your position with current examples. Considering the historical development of American parties (Module 3), identify one specific era or event which defined our trajectory towards a polarized party system. Why was this era/event so influential? In all, what is more harmful to society: a polarized elite class or a polarized electorate? Justify your response.

3) Aldrich argues that three factors- ambitious office-seekers, American institutions, and historical setting- contribute to the structure of political parties (Module 1).

Which factor best explains today's American party system? Has this always been the case throughout history? Provide examples to justify your thinking. The original formation of parties was rational in the sense that parties solved many types of collective action problems (Module 1).

Which collective action problem is most important for parties to address: mobilizing members of the electorate or coordinating legislative behavior? Why?

As the United States continues to fulfill its reputation as a racial, ethnic, religious, linguistic, and attitudinal melting pot, how will both state and local, as well as national, party organizations (Module 2) cope with mobilizing such a diverse group of individuals (Module 5)? Speculate on specific party strategies, including those of third parties (Module 3), and the possibility of a future realignment.