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.
