1. What influence do political parties have over candidate selection and legislative district drawing?

2. How do local party activities build social and political bonds between voters and the party?

1. What methods do political parties use to mobilize and recruit new voters?

2. How do parties educate both voters and elected officials on key issues and party positions?

1. What is a party platform and how do national party leaders balance ideology with electoral strategy?

2. How do national conventions allow different party factions to influence the final platform?

1. How do political parties strategize to attract voters while maintaining their ideological principles?

1. What qualities do party officials seek in candidates and how do they recruit them?

2. Why do parties focus recruitment efforts on swing districts and safe districts?

1. How do political parties manage the primary and general election processes differently?

2. What campaign activities do parties undertake to mobilize voters and win elections?

1. What are the major sources of campaign funding and how do campaign finance laws limit party contributions?

2. Why is television advertising central to party media strategy and how are parties adapting to social media?

1. What are the roles of the national chairperson and the Democratic and Republican National Committees?

2. What functions do Congressional Campaign Committees perform and how do they support party candidates?

1. How do political parties influence government operations at the national, state, and local levels?

1. How did the early American party system evolve from factions to organized parties with formal structures?

2. What role did Andrew Jackson and the Democratic Party play in expanding political participation?

1. How did television and social media shift political campaigns from party-centered to candidate-centered?

2. What are the consequences of candidate-centered campaigns for party control and party loyalty?

1. What changes did the McGovern-Fraser Commission make to Democratic Party nomination procedures?

2. What are superdelegates and how have they affected the Democratic Party's nomination process?

1. How have campaign finance laws and communication technology shaped political party structure and operations?

1. What is a critical election and how does it lead to party realignment?

2. How did the 1860 election and the rise of the Republican Party represent a major realignment?

3. What coalition did Franklin Delano Roosevelt build in the 1930s and how did it reshape American politics?

1. How did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and subsequent policies cause a regional realignment in American politics?

2. What is party dealignment and how has it affected voter behavior and party loyalty since 1968?

3. How have the ideological positions of Democrats and Republicans shifted since the 1930s?

1. What is the purpose of campaign finance laws and how do they regulate political contributions?

1. How do political parties use data-management technology and voter databases to target and persuade voters?

2. What is the difference between demographic and psychographic segmentation in political campaigns?

1. How do candidates tailor their messages based on campaign timing and voter receptiveness?

2. What strategies do parties use to engage unaligned or apathetic voters?

1. What is the difference between third parties and independent candidates in American politics?

1. What are ideological parties and what examples demonstrate how they form around consistent political principles?

2. How do splinter parties form and what impact can they have on major party elections?

3. What are economic-protest parties and single-issue parties, and what causes their formation?

1. What level of electoral success have third-party candidates achieved in recent presidential elections?

1. How does the single-member district system disadvantage third parties compared to proportional representation?

2. What financial and ballot access challenges do third-party candidates face?

3. How does the winner-take-all Electoral College system prevent third parties from winning the presidency?

1. How do major parties incorporate third-party ideas into their platforms and what positive changes have resulted?

2. What role do third parties play in American politics despite their inability to win elections?