What can we tell about future elections by observing the past? Political scientist Stephen Voss gives us a few examples from past elections - and analyzes some recent developments - in order to articulate the ways that electoral votes can slide from one place to another and disrupt the electoral trends of the past. From population shifts to industrial boom and bust, the United States is in a state of change, and so are its Presidential elections. 

By the time this year's Presidential election rolls around, many voters will be as turned off as they are excited. Why? The constant presence of political ads that saturate almost every nook and cranny of the media market. But what makes these ads possible? The answer is the incredible influx of money into modern politics that is used to bludgeon as often as it is to persuade and inform voters.