Political Science 1200 - External Studies

Introduction to American Politics

Third Exam Study Guide

 

Students should be able to construct well written, thoughtful answers of approximately 75 words addressing the following questions or statements linked to the various chapters.  The first exam covers Chapters 1 through 5.  The second exam covers chapters 6 through 10.  And the final exam covers chapters 11 through part of 15.  Twenty of the statements or questions will appear on each exam.  You will have to address 15 of them. 

 

Chapter Eleven - Voting Behavior and Elections

1.  Who votes?

2.  Explain the sociological factors behind the vote choice.

3.  Explain the psychological factors behind the vote choice.

4.  Summarize 6 of the 12 voting patterns that emerged after the 2000 election.

5.  Summarize 5 of the 10 voting patterns that emerged after the 2002 election.

6.  Discuss the fairness of one of the following processes, suffrage, redistricting, or the electoral college.

 

Chapter Twelve - The Congress\

1.  Summarize either the portrait, life of, or the image of a legislator.

2.  Explain the tension between the delegate and trustee theories of represenation. 

3.  Discuss the role of the Speaker of the House and the Rules Committee.  How come there is neither in the Senate?

4.  What's a filibuster?  What's a hold?  Do they exist in the House?

5.  What are two important function of the committee system?  Explain.

 

Chapter Thirteen - The President

1.  What is the Paradox of the Presidency?

2.  What adds to the power of the modern American President?

3.  Explain the duties associated with three of following roles of the President

Chief of State, Chief Executive, Commander in Chief, Chief Diplomat

Chief Legislator, Chief of Party, Popular Leader

5.  What is the Executive Office of the President?  Is it powerful?

6.  What are some informal tools of presidential power?

7.  Does the personality of the president matter?

 

Chapter Fourteen - The Bureaucracy

1.  What is public administration?  Identify successes and failures.

2.  Why and how are constituencies important to agencies in the policy process?

3.  Explain in general terms what iron triangles, subgovernments and issue networks are.

4.  Do presidents control the bureaucracy?  Why or why not?

5.  How are independent agencies different from either Cabinet Departments or Executive agencies?  What's the significance of those differences?

6.  Give the trade offs between the patronage system and the civil service system.

 

Chapter Fifteen - Justice (up to section on criminal justice)

1.  What is judicial review?  Is it democratic?

2.  What is judicial activism?  Why is it controversial?

3.  What is judicial restraint?  Why is it controversial?

4.  Summarize differences between the Warren, Burger and Rehnquist courts.

5.  Would characterize the current court as liberal or conservative?