MidTermExamQuestions

Intro to American Politics and American Political Thought

Midterm Exams

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Directions for American Politics Exam:

Answer three of the following questions. Although each of your answers should be about two pages long, one or two of your answers may be shorter if your entire exam adds up to six pages (one-inch margins, twelve-point font size, double spaced).

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All of your answers should be thoughtfully argued, well-organized, and free of grammatical and spelling errors.

American Politics

Summarize James Madison’s central arguments in Federalist #10.
Summarize Alexander Hamilton’s main arguments in Federalist #6.
Explain why the Bill of Rights was added to the U.S. Constitution.
Explain the differences between people who identify themselves as “strict constructionists” and those who promote the idea of a “living Constitution.” (Note: The source included here uses the term "originalism" to describe strict constructionism and "non-originalist" to describe the position of those who believe in a living constitution.)
Summarize the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dred Scott v. Sanford. Specify ways in which this case shaped race relations in the United States.
Summarize the Supreme Court’s ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson. Specify ways in which this case shaped race relations in the United States.
Explain the split between the Abolitionists and the Suffragettes in the aftermath of the Civil War.
Summarize Andrew Carnegie's "Gospel of Wealth."
Summarize the arguments made by Samuel Warren and Louis Brandeis in "The Right to Privacy."
Summarize some of the main features of the New Deal.
Describe ways in which the New Deal continues to define American politics.
Specify aspects of the New Deal that have been rejected by both Republicans and Democrats.
Summarize the Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. Describe how this ruling changed the course of American history.
Summarize John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address. Place his vision within the historical context of the Cold War.
Summarize Lyndon Johnson’s conception of “The Great Society.”
Describe some of the ways in which the Civil Rights Act of 1964 changed the course of American history.
Explain the relationship between affirmative action policies and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Compare and contrast Malcolm X’s approach to race relations with that of Martin Luther King.
Describe Robert F. Kennedy’s announcement of the assassination of Martin Luther King. What distinguishes this eulogy from more typical political speeches?
Summarize the Statement of Purpose of the National Organization for Women (1966). Specify ways in which the values expressed in this document reflect the socio-economic status of the women who wrote it.
Summarize the main points made by Gloria Steinem in "Women's Liberation Aims to Free Men Too (1970)."
Summarize the Supreme Court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade (1973). Which aspects of the decision make the right to obtain an abortion especially vulnerable to attack?

American Political Thought

Directions for American Political Thought Exam:

Answer two of the following questions. Although each of your answers should be about three pages long, one of your answers may be shorter if your entire exam adds up to six pages (one-inch margins, twelve-point font size, double spaced).