Turmoil in American elections rumbled through the country as Donald Trump led the Republican

Party into power in 2016. So disruptive to norms of decorum and conduct--a power strategy--Trump

drew Republicans across the nation hungry for someone to crush "the establishment" and get things

done for people. Trump created a strong voter base that's to the right of where the party was when

he first announced for the presidency in 2015. Should he run for the presidency again in 2024, his

base would be vital to his success. With that hanging in the air, the nation will move quickly from

the mid-term elections to 2024. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, former president

Trump attacked elections as being corrupt. And following his election defeat in 2020, his attacks on

elections all over the country were relentless. He created the Big Lie that he was the rightful winner

and Democrats stole the election. To this day, Donald Trump throws shade on Democrats, who he

calls Socialists, and Republicans, who are not conservative enough. More than half of the

candidates running for national, state, and/or local office on November 8, 2022, deny that Joe Biden

won the election. American elections haven't always been clean. But significant efforts to ensure the

integrity of elections have been made. Using both old and new tools, election officials and

volunteers have created a transparent system that allows voters to see where their ballots are in the

election process after they vote. We are fortunate to have a Texas Tribunal piece on ballot counting

and security. We will see it here: How Texas counts ballots and keeps elections secure. As you read

the article (I recommend chunks at a time), think about the ways it links you to your knowledge

about voting, participation, elections, parties, and interest groups. What's your first reaction to the

article? What are you learning that you didn't know or what surprised you? How does it build on or

help you understand the content in this section of the course? These are just starter ideas. The

Journal is also open to all, so let's engage and learn from one another. Remember, journals typically

post thoughts (the intellectual part) and reactions (the emotional part). Your thoughts should be

guided by your understanding of power and systems of power, as well as the behaviors of the

involved individuals and the levels of government they represent. Look for relationships and

linkages between the Texas Tribune article and what you are learning in the Canvas content in this

section. Your emotions should be thoughtfully expressed in academic language.