1. Warm Up #1
Explain what James Madison meant in Federalist 10 when he discussed factions. Explain why he feared factions and how he expected the Constitution would help control the evils of faction.
Then, account for the rise of political parties after the Constitution went into effect. Are political parties different from factions?
In what ways is Madison a contradictory figure given his own involvement in the Republican party?

2. Warm Up #1
Is there a fundamental tension between Madison’s view in Federalist 10 and the growth of interest groups in recent years? Or, does the proliferation of interest groups support his fundamental pluralist view? Explain in detail your assessment.
Use the Berry essay (Woll #41) to support your claim.

3. Warm Up #2
What role should interest groups play in elections? How might interest groups be problematic when it comes to campaigns, donations and their influence?
In thinking about your answer, recall what we’ve read in Federalist #10, Woll #41 and your buzz post for this week.

4. Warm Up #3
Describe the pros and cons of interest group involvement in elections and campaign donations. Use the article we read in class as evidence to help support your ideas.
What should be the proper role of a lobbyist in a democracy? What are the problems lobbyists may cause in our democracy?

5. Warm Up #4
What struck you most about your interest group that you researched?
What is the thesis of Truman’s article in Woll #42? What argument does Truman make regarding lobbying?
What common strategies do interest groups employ to influence public policy?

6. Cool Down #5
After watching the two video clips, explain what is done to regulate lobbyists and interest group. What regulations are in place?
What can be done to make these regulations more effective?

7. Warm Up #5
Why does Sabato believe the obsession with PACs is misplaced? What is the argument he makes? Include page numbers & quotes in your summary.

8. Warm Up #6
Assess the validity of the following claim: Political parties legitimize government policies by connecting citizens to government.
In what ways does America’s two-party system promote or thwart America’s constitutional principles?

9. Warm Up #7 Read the article Who Voted for Obama and annotate.
Era
Coalition (who was in the coalition)
What caused this era to begin? Results?
2008 election

10. Warm Up #9 (should be about 1 ½ pages long)
Read over the Political Parties & Weaknesses lecture AND annotate.
For each section, write a summary of the information in your own words. Also include one question you have regarding each topic.

11. Warm Up #9
Read and annotate “The Influences of Media in Presidential Politics.”
AND answer the following question:
What role does media play in presidential politics? Cite specific examples from the article. Do you think the media has plays a positive or negative role?

12. Warm Up #11
What role do you think the media played in why we went to war with Iraq? Cite examples.

13. Buying America video questions
What does this video tell you about the relationship between the President and the White House press corps?
Why did news organizations think that there was something wrong with challenging the Bush administration?

14. Warm Up #10
Look at your homework assignment The Role of Media in Politics and its Biases.
Reflect on your findings. What conclusions can you make about how news is covered? Be specific…cite examples.
Does this make you feel more or less comfortable with news coverage. Explain.

15. Cool Down #11
In his book Understanding Media, Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase, “The medium is the message.” By this he meant that the way we communicate information can be more influential than the information itself. In the U.S., news is a commodity controlled by the media, not a public service.
How do you think the media’s profit motive affects reporting? Give some examples from news you’ve viewed to back up your claim.
Should we allow news agencies to build monopolies (e.g. one company owning the majority of TV, radio, newspaper outlets)?
Lastly, has the internet democratized news? Has it been a positive or negative? Explain.

16. Cool Down #11 Answer the reflection question from Outfoxed.
How do you think the media’s profit motive affects reporting? Give some examples from news you’ve viewed and from the video to back up your claim.