Here's one for all of you who like to use current events in your classes. (And it wouldn't be a bad topic for the rest of us to discuss, either...) The Republican Party (or at least certain members of it) widely publicized the signing of a document it called the Contract with America. I have not read this document, but I gather that it was a list of things these candidates promised to accomplish (or to try to accomplish?) if a Republican majority was elected in 1994. It seemed to be very specific, and it seemed to ask for a very specific sort of consideration, e.g., enough votes to get the majority. The interesting question: Is this really a contract? That is, if these candidates do not accomplish these things (or do not make good faith attempts to accomplish them), could a voter who supplied the consideration to a particular candidate, e.g., voted for him, sue for breach? It occurs to me that there are probably extant cases involving campaign promises. But this is not just any old campaign promise: It's something the maker's explicitely called a "contract." What do you think? Ken [log in to unmask] "Sic transit gloria mundi, and Tuesday is usually worse."