RJA #5a: Finding Reference Articles

List of Online References:


"The Electoral College"
"The electoral college." Social Education 72.6 (Oct 2008): 304(7). General OneFile. Gale. Auraria Library. 24 Sept. 2009
http://0-find.galegroup.com.skyline.cudenver.edu/gps/start.do?prodId=IPS.

"Neither the red states nor the blue states but the United States: the national popular vote and American political democracy."
Raskin, Jamin B. "Neither the red states nor the blue states but the United States: the national popular vote and American political democracy."Election Law Journal 7.3 (Summer 2008):188(8). General OneFile. Gale. Auraria Library. 24 Sept. 2009
http://0-find.galegroup.com.skyline.cudenver.edu/gps/start.do?prodId=IPS.

"Popular election of the president: using or abusing the electoral college?"
Hendricks, Jennifer S. "Popular election of the president: using or abusing the Electoral College?." Election Law Journal 7.3 (Summer 2008): 218(9). General OneFile. Gale. Auraria Library. 24 Sept. 2009
http://0-find.galegroup.com.skyline.cudenver.edu/gps/start.do?prodId=IPS.

"Rewriting the Constitution's basic "structural" provisions: when a constitutional convention for electoral change is necessary, and what it might be expected to accomplish."
Amar, Vikram David. "Rewriting the Constitution's basic 'structural' provisions: when a constitutional convention for electoral change is necessary, and what it might be expected to accomplish." Election Law Journal 7.3 (Summer 2008): 245(8). General OneFile. Gale. Auraria Library. 24 Sept. 2009.
http://0-find.galegroup.com.skyline.cudenver.edu/gps/start.do?prodId=IPS.

RJA #4a: Generating Keywords

What does the Electoral College System accomplish and should it be in place?

FO

Forms: electoral college system, voting system,

representative aspect, election system

accomplish, accomplishment(s)

RE

Related Terms why, reason, explanation, power, used

ST

Synonymous Terms achieve, succeed, position, representative

LOG

Ladder of

Generalization Political Science>Government Systems>Democratic Republic>

Voting System>Electoral College

RJA# 4b: Writing Search Strings

What does the Electoral College system accomplish and should it be in place?

Electoral College AND effective*

Electoral College AND accomplish*

Electoral College AND reason*

Electoral College Theor*

Equations:

Electoral College + effective*

Electoral College + accomplish*

Electoral College + reason*

RJA #4c: Checking Research Questions

Links to comments:

http://tyleratauraria.blogspot.com/2009/09/research-journal-assignment-3c.html#comment-form

http://gstoneeng1020.blogspot.com/2009/09/research-journal-3c-develop-research.html#comment-form

RJA #3a: Exploring Research Topic

All of the research I am finding is being added to my delicious account; weather that be specific articles or larger search results that help me narrow my research down.

From this I am finding more controversial points that I did not originally think of when I initially picked my topic. Possibly the most interesting question I can talk about in my paper is weather the electoral college system favors the current two powerful political party system that dominant. The largest discussion is if it takes away the democratic aspect away from the vote.

Also I have found a little bit on the issue of redrawing county lines. This is not affect the presidential vote but the vote at the state level. This is a way that demographics can be used to milk a certain vote from county to county.

RJA #3c: Developing Research Question

Why do the majority of United States citizens not understand the system?

How does it change the vote?

Why was it put into place?

Does the system take away the democratic aspect of the vote?

Do we get better representation form this system?

Could it be better?

What does it accomplish?

Should it be in place?

JA #3b: Narrowing Research Topic

When the assignment was first given to us and we were told that we had to pick a topic that was controversial and one that was in our field of study, I was not worried. Basically every thing in the realm political science is quite controversial, so I had a lot to choose from. I was initially thinking of taking our political system, pointing out one or more aspects, and then comparing it to others. But there are so many areas from which I could choose. The Electoral College System is very important but not may understand it, or even know what it is by name. After narrowing it down to this I feel I can write a more pointed paper.