poli 101 test 1

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Part 1: Descriptive Essay

  • Pick 1 (out of 2); 25 points
  • Explain some aspect of US politics. Make sure to answer every part of the question
  • Part 2: Argumentative Essay
  • Pick 1 (out of 2); 25 points
  • Make an argument for or against some claim about US politics

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Overarching Themes for the Exam

US Political Culture

  • Tocqueville: the innovations and pitfalls of the US social state
    • Innovations: local autonomy; self-interest properly understood
    • Pitfalls: tyranny of the majority; individualism; industrial aristocracy; new despotism
  • Civil liberties and civil rights
    • Selective incorporation and the balance of personal freedoms and public security
    • The history of the civil rights movement: litigation vs. mass movement
    • Contemporary problems: why do we see unequal outcomes in a “colorblind” society?
  • Political behaviors and institutions beyond the three branches of gov’t
    • Why does public opinion matter? How does the media shape it? What are somechallenges in measuring it?
    • Interest groups vs. parties: who participates? Who tends to be excluded? Why do these organizations persist?
    • How might political outcomes change if we changed voting and campaigning rules?

    the exam is tomorrow I can take at anytime from 11am to 11pm