Discussion Questions on the Results
of the 1996 Election
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Which issue do you feel was the defining idea behind the
election of 1996?
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Why was Bill Clinton so "electable" in spite of the allegations
he faces in the Whitewater scandal, "file-gate" (the obtaining of FBI files
of prominent Republicans), the Travel Office Scandal (where Bush Travel
Office staffers were fired with little or no notice) and the sexual harassment lawsuit that he still faces?
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Do you feel negative campaigning is effective or is it self-defeating
for candidates who use it?
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Do you think the public opinion poll numbers had any affect
on how the voters saw and voted for the three main candidates?
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Do you think Dole's choice of Jack Kemp helped or hurt his
chances of defeating Clinton in November? Why or why not? Who could Dole
have chosen to improve his chances of victory?
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What will be the effect of the Ross Perot's Reform Party
on the 1996 election? Will Ross perot and the Reform Party have an effect
on American politics in the near future?
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Which of the candidate had views that you agreed with the
most? The least?
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Do you consider yourself "conservative," "liberal," or "radical?"
What aspects of your views leads you to define yourself this way?
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How do you think the strengthened Republican Congress will
work along side the current Democratic president?
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Is there a way to avoid gridlock that results from "divided
government"?
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What do you hope the President will strive for in the future?
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Do you think there will be continued investigations of Bill
Clinton's actions because the Republican party has a majority in the House
and the Senate?
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Is Clinton truly Democratic (as in the party)? Why or why
not? Give us examples.
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in your opinion, what should Congress do to balance the budget?
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What will the President need to do to avoid a rough/messy
final four years?
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What went wrong with Dole's campaign? Explain.
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Mandate: the people are telling the government what to do.
Why didn't Clinton get a mandate as shown by 50% of the voters? What could
he have done to get a mandate?
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MARYLAND VIEWERS: Do you think it was a good idea for kids
to vote along with their parents in the Kids Voting Program? Can you tell
us why?
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Kids all over the nation chose Bob Dole as their choice for
president in mock elections. Why would young people choose Bob Dole for
President?
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Why are the results of the electoral vote and the popular
vote so different? Should they forget or take out the electoral vote?
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Why did traditionally Republican States vote for Democratic
when they normally vote for Republican candidates?
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Do you think Clinton will propose a moderate agenda for his
second term in office?
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Why didn't Clinton lift the ban on travel and immigration
to the United States for people infected with HIV? Do you agree with this
decision?
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What is your opinion about the election results in your local
area? Please share with us the results
of the Congressional and local races as well as your opinion on those results.
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How many hairstyles do you think Hillary Clinton will have
in the next term :-)?
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How would a Bob Dole administration differ from the goals
of a Clinton administration?
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Jump
to discussion questions on the election results
If you are
a Maryland High School student, you can practice a
few questions for the Maryland Test of Citizenship Skills right here.
This sample is on the Executive branch and the Electoral Process. Watch
this site for an expanded version of this on-line tutorial!
Read
about President Clinton at The White House WWW Site
