The essays in my dissertation explore the impact of political action on everyday life by utilizing the modern theory of political economy and investigating the \u27unintended\u27 consequences of political behavior. Specifically, the first essay studies the impact on communities when the Army activates reservists and guardsmen. The second essay challenges traditional ways of measuring electoral data, helping in the understanding of election campaigns. The third essay demonstrates the new electoral measure to ask and answer, \u27Did Bush bring home troops to bolster campaign support in 2004?\u2
