A Presidential Transcript:
The Policy Impacts of George W. Bush

Lecture by George Edwards
17 min

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• Quicktime (iPod/iTunes) – 44MB
  
• Windows Media Video – 48 MB
• Audio mp3 – 6 MB

Summary:
The presidency of George W. Bush has been the most polarizing in polling history: Republicans love him, Democrats loath him. Regardless of how you feel about him, his efforts to promote a strong government in service of conservative values have inarguably produced domestic and foreign policy initiatives that are bold, revolutionary, and of high impact.

Click here to answer essay questions about the podcast.

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George C. Edwards III is Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Texas A&M University. One of the country’s leading scholars of the presidency, he has written or edited numerous articles and books on American politics.

Email George Edwards.

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The Electoral College and State Interests
(Pennsylvania is a Teacher’s Pet)

Lecture by George Edwards
19 min

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• Quicktime (iPod/iTunes) – 44MB
  
• Windows Media Video – 48 MB
• Audio mp3 – 6 MB

Summary:
Those who support the electoral college argue that it protects certain interests that would be harmed by a direct election. Are there interests specific to small states, and do they deserve additional protection? Even if so, the electoral college would do little to protect them, as it conversely incentivizes candidates to spend most of their time in “battleground states,” largely ignoring both small states and non-competitive large states.

Click here to answer essay questions about the podcast.

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George C. Edwards III is Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Texas A&M University. One of the country’s leading scholars of the presidency, he has written or edited numerous articles and books on American politics.

Email George Edwards.

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The Electoral College and Voter Inflation
(Everyone in Wyoming gets A’s)

Lecture by George Edwards
17 min

• Flash Player
• Quicktime (iPod/iTunes) – 38 MB
  
• Windows Media Video – 41 MB
• Audio mp3 – 5 MB

Summary:
One of the most basic democratic principles of political equality is voter equality. The electoral college, which translates popular votes into electoral votes to determine the presidential election, arguably violates this principle through voter disenfranchisement and disproportionate individual and state influence. While the Framers designed the system to protect against legitimate concerns about the new democracy, if those concerns are no longer relevant, is the electoral college system still the best way to select our president?

Click here to answer essay questions about the podcast.

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George C. Edwards III is Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Texas A&M University. One of the country’s leading scholars of the presidency, he has written or edited numerous articles and books on American politics.

Email George Edwards.

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Q & A Part II: The Donkey in the Room

Lecture by Marjorie Hershey
13 min

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• Quicktime (iPod/iTunes) – 46 MB
  
• Windows Media Video – 28 MB
• Audio mp3 – 4 MB

Summary:
In choosing a presidential nominee, the Democratic Party must consider more than just their candidates’ political views. Each candidate carries considerable risks and baggage that, while perhaps seemingly irrelevant, will not be overlooked by opponents. This question and answer session also covers such topics as the impact of a possible run by New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, and the Democratic campaign strategy.

Click here to answer essay questions about the podcast.

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Marjorie Hershey is a professor of political science at Indiana University – Bloomington and author of Party Politics in America, 12th edition.

Email Marjorie Hershey.

Q & A Part I: Independant’s Day?

Lecture by Marjorie Hershey
13 min

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• Quicktime (iPod/iTunes) – 48 MB
  
• Windows Media Video – 30 MB
• Audio mp3 – 5 MB

Summary:
In this question and answer session, Professor Hershey discusses potential newcomers to the campaign – including possible Independent candidates – as well as what her strategy would be for the GOP.

Click here to answer essay questions about the podcast.

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Marjorie Hershey is a professor of political science at Indiana University – Bloomington and author of Party Politics in America, 12th edition.

Email Marjorie Hershey.

A New Hampshire State of Mind: The Road to 2008

Lecture by Marjorie Hershey
19 min

• Flash Player
• Quicktime (iPod/iTunes) – 65 MB
  
• Windows Media Video – 42 MB
• Audio mp3 – 7 MB

Summary:
2008 will showcase the first election since 1928 without a sitting president or vice president in the contest. This wide-open race already features a diverse pool of talent, a vast amount of spending, and the earliest campaign start in history. With the extreme frontloading of the primary schedule, early events in the campaign race are poised to have huge impacts on the party nominations.

Click here to answer essay questions about the podcast.

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Marjorie Hershey is a professor of political science at Indiana University – Bloomington and author of Party Politics in America, 12th edition.

Email Marjorie Hershey.

Loaded Bases: The Importance of Party Composition

Lecture by Marjorie Hershey
10 min

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• Quicktime (iPod/iTunes) – 40 MB
  
• Windows Media Video – 19 MB
• Audio mp3 – 3 MB

Summary:
While 2006 was an important year for the Democratic Party, the nearly even ideological split of the country makes any current majority tenuous at best. However, the change in the composition of the party bases – particularly the increased regionalism of the Republican Party – could have a major impact in 2008.

Click here to answer essay questions about the podcast.

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Marjorie Hershey is a professor of political science at Indiana University – Bloomington and author of Party Politics in America, 12th edition.

Email Marjorie Hershey.

The Campaign Poll Vault: Party Strategies in 2006

Lecture by Marjorie Hershey
20 min

• Flash Player
• Quicktime (iPod/iTunes) – 51 MB
  
• Windows Media Video – 41 MB
• Audio mp3 – 11 MB

Summary:
The 2006 congressional elections ushered in the first change in party control in 12 years. While political scandals and the declining popularity of Bush and the Iraq War weakened Republicans, it was the new Democratic leadership – including Howard Dean and his new campaign strategies – that allowed the Democrats to turn these weaknesses into election results.

Click here to answer essay questions about the podcast.

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Marjorie Hershey is a professor of political science at Indiana University – Bloomington and author of Party Politics in America, 12th edition.

Email Marjorie Hershey.

Down But Not Out: The Struggle Endures

Lecture by Larry Sabato
11 min

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• Quicktime – 33 MB
  
• Windows Media Video – 28 MB
• Audio mp3 – 7 MB

Summary:
While current federal-state tensions – focusing, as always, on money and power – demonstrate that states clearly have the weaker hand, for reasons both legal and cultural the states, as an institution, will endure.

Click here to answer essay questions about the podcast.

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Larry Sabato is the founder and direction of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, a professor of politics, and a nationally renowned elections scholar.

Click here to email Professor Sabato.

The Times, They are A-changin’: State Governments in the 1960s

Lecture by Larry Sabato
13 min

• Flash Player
• Quicktime – 42 MB
  
• Windows Media Video – 36 MB
• Audio mp3 – 9 MB

Summary:
In addition to mistakes that the federal government made, the country underwent some drastic changes in the 1960s that altered the composition of the electorate and the rules governing representation. Combined with the federal government’s paralysis from an enormous and ever growing budget deficit, this firmly planted the states in a more capable position to provide the citizens with what they needed.

Click here to answer essay questions about the podcast.

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Larry Sabato is the founder and direction of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, a professor of politics, and a nationally renowned elections scholar.

Click here to email Professor Sabato.