The+Two+Americas+10-11

**Guiding Questions ** toc ==RED STATE/BLUE STATE BASICS == __[|Red & Blue States] __ & Purple states????!!!! __[|The Divide (look @ 2008 election demographic charts)] __
 * Is America truly divided? If so, how? If not, why not?
 * What explains the trends seen in the red state/blue state basics charts/graphs?
 * Why are some people liberal, some people conservative, and others moderate/independent?

__[|2004 Election Demographics] __

__[|2008 Election Demographics] __ *Be sure to click on "size bars according to share of electorate" on the left hand side under "Height of Bars."  <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2004 Election Results by County (and Population) ==<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 32px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">FUN FACTS (CONTRADICTIONS?) ==
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(THERE ARE MANY EXCEPTIONS TO THE GENERAL STATEMENTS BELOW)
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">REGULATIONS **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff1700; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">REPUBLICANS //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff1700; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">tend to // support gov't regulations in social issues (e.g. no gay marriage) while not supporting gov't regulations/involvement in the economy (lower taxes, fewer gov't programs)
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">DEMOCRATS //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">tend to // support gov't regulations/involvement in the economy (taxes are necessary, more gov't programs) while not supporting gov't regulations/involvement in social issues (e.g. "pro choice" on abortion)


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">DEATH **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff1700; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">REPUBLICANS //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff1700; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">tend to // support military campaigns while opposing abortion
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">DEMOCRATS //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">tend to // not support military action while favoring a woman's ability to have an abortion

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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 32px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A DEEPER LOOK
1. __<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #551a8b; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;"> __ "The Blue Wall" -- States/groups that typically vote for the Democrats. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2. __<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ee; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Interview w/author Boris Shor on "Red State/Blue State"] __

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">3. __<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ee; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;">[|America: Diverse but Not Divided] __ In business at least (if not more), this author argues that the U.S. is not as divided as it is often made out to be. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">4. (see below) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Look closer at the numbers at this chart: What percentage of all Democrats think that abortion should be legal in all or most cases? What about Republicans? Does that help prove or disprove the Red/Blue state theory? Which of the following is the most important factor (percentage-wise) in SUPPORTING abortion: Protestantism, Catholicism, or no religion? What about age, race, or gender? Why do you think that is? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">5. __<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ee; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;">[|'Why I am a Conservative' blog] __ (One person's opinion, not necessarily representative of all conservatives) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">6. __<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ee; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;">[|'Why I am a Liberal' blog] __ (One person's opinion, not necessarily representative of all liberals) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">7. __<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ee; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;">[|'Why I am a Moderate' blog] __ (One person's opinion, not necessarily representative of all moderates) ==<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 32px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A DIVIDED MEDIA == <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The media is often openly biased. Certain tv and radio stations/programs are left-leaning while others are right-leaning. Of the TV stations, MSNBC frequently supports Democrats while Fox News frequently supports Republicans. Here is one example: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">__<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ee; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Fox v. MSNBC on Michelle Obama's Speech] __
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[[image:http://pewforum.org/newassets/images/issues/abortion/image003.gif caption="external image image003.gif"]] ||
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">external image image003.gif ||

==<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 32px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A CONSERVATIVE AND A LIBERAL ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS FOR KIS US HISTORY! == <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 19.2px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 19.2px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Dave K **. - M.U.P., Harvard University **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 19.2px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Peter W **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 19.2px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. - M.P.P., Pepperdine University <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">*Dave K. grew up in the Nashville, TN area and Pete W. grew up in the Houston, TX area. Both "30-somethings" now live in Nashville, TN. ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">*Questions answered in May of 2009. (Peter W modified some of his answers in May 2010) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">*Before reading their responses to the following questions, consider what factors may shape their beliefs (beyond just age, etc). <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">__<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ee; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;">Question 1 __: How do you most identify with being a Republican or Democrat? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">__<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ee; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;">Question 2 __: WHY do you think you hold your political positions/beliefs/values? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">__<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ee; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;">Question 3 __: How do you not neatly fit into the traditional stereotype of either being a Republican/Democrat and/or from being where you grew up? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">__<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ee; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;">Question 4 __: How did the 2004 election (for the Democrat) or the 2008 election (for the Republican) affect you? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">__<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ee; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;">Question 5 __: If you could change one (or more!) things about your political party right now, what would it be?

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Student Survey Based on Dave and Peter's Answers