Midterm Exams in POLSCI 2

Midterm exams in this class cover materials from both the lectures and t
he assigned readings. The ratio of material from each part is approximately 50%
-50 %. Attending class but not buying the text book and reading it, or the reve
rse, are both pretty well guaranteed ways of failing the course. Bring a Scantr
on 886 form for the exam. Otherwise you may be on your way to the bookstore bef
ore beginning.
Midterms are usually designed in the following way (with five percent pl
us/minus for each section):
1) Thirty multiple choice questions, each worth 1.5% each (45% of total)
. These are mostly drawn from the test banks for the textbooks. As the Cumming
s/Wise text is the main reading, about twenty-five of the questions are drawn fr
om there, and the rest from the Sources text. Hence your main studying should b
e in the Cummings book, and from the Gerber reader you should try to draw the ke
y ideas; I almost never (intentionally) try to draw statistics or narrow technic
al points from the latter.
2) Ten to fifteen fill-in items, each worth 2 to 3% each (30% of total).
They are major subjects we ve discussed in class. If it s been on the board or di
splay it s a clear sign that topic might be on there. Often these ask you for two
or three items from a list reviewed during lectures, but may pull one out of su
ch a list and ask for an explanation. You may get partial credit for answers, b
ut losing one point for each of ten items (or so) will immediately drop your gra
de at least a letter score.
3) One essay question, drawn from lecture notes. They are designed to t
est your understanding of a discussion, and you ll find the questions look very si
milar to the outlines and approach from class. Therefore excellent note-taking
and attendance are crucial.
Anticipating some questions:
1) No, I don t know what the best length is for an answer. I would expect t
o pour every bit of knowledge I have into an answer, while knowing I have to fin
ish overall in under an hour. So write concisely while not leaving anything out
; it s an acquired skill, but a critical one for academic success.
2) Sometimes you may get a choice of topic on which to write, but I choo
se questions in such a way that it s dangerous to study part of the material. Tha
t is a good way to find the things you didn t master on the exam.
3) Finally: If you find you have notes where concepts or terms aren t expl
ained, that is a sign you need more information. A term or concept that you can t
explain won t be of any use during an exam.
Question Examples
The following are some types of questions asked on previous exams. You
should note the emphasis on ideas and concepts, as opposed to names and dates.
For essay work expect to answer all parts of a question for full credit. And if
your studying consists of just going over the material, as opposed to actually m
emorizing enough to write good essays, I ll be seeing you in another semester as y
ou repeat the course.
Types of Fill-in and Short Answer Questions
1. According to lecture, an example of direct democracy currently used in the U
S is __________?
2. Explain in a couple of sentences the advantages behind Madison s requirement for
making the separation of powers function: the need for the branches to serv
e different terms.
3. A member of Congress who believes on a particular issue he must accurately r
eflect the voters demands (as opposed to his own desires) is acting as a ________
_____.
4. The Federalist Papers were written to support the ratification of the Consti
tution in which state?
5. As observed in lectures, what are the three ways powers are divided in the C
onstitution, in an effort to guarantee liberty?
6. Who were two of the men who wrote The Federalist Papers?
7. List the three problems said to exist that recommends representative democrac
y over participatory democracy.
8. What number of states had to agree to ratify the new Constitution before it
would take effect?
9. As originally designed, what part(s) of the national government were the peo
ple to have some direct or indirect control over?
10. Under the original constitution, how was the Senate to be chosen?
11. List two of the three characteristics of federalism as noted in lecture.
12. Who was the president who attempted court packing? Why?
13. Give an example of how the Fourteenth Amendment lead to expanding federal p
ower.
14. What precedent or doctrine was established by the Supreme Court in Barron
v Baltimore (1833)?
15. Who were the two presidents discussed in lecture that were seen as personali
ty leaders, before Franklin Roosevelt?
16. What president proposed the set of domestic programs known as the Great Soci
ety?
17. What law passed in 1946 further strengthened the power of the national gove
rnment as compared to the states, as reviewed in lectures?
18. Aside from making a claim a law was unconstitutional, what other reason cou
ld someone claim to justify an appeal of a trial court s verdict in the federal co
urt system?
19. Close relationships that develop among executive agencies, special interest
groups, and congressional subcommittees are called _________________________
_____.
20. What is meant by the tyranny of small decisions?
Types of Essay Questions
1. Discuss political parties. Explain what we would normally see if parties we
re powerful and influential in our social lives and in government. What has lea
d to the decline of political parties as prominent actors in the U.S.? What has
been the role of presidential nominating methods in that decline?
2. Explain the concerns some observers have about interest groups in the U.S. po
litical system. Address the membership of those groups, the resources they use,
and the effects they have. Use examples wherever possible.
3. Explain the institutional assets modern presidents are said to have, as revi
ewed in lectures. Do the same for the individual assets chief executives try to
bring to the office. In each case, give examples of successful uses of some of
these tools, and failures as well. Which set of tools would be more important,
in your estimation, for a president faced with a Congress controlled by the opp
osition party? Why?
4. Discuss the reasons mentioned during lectures for the turnover rates for mem
bers of Congress being so low. That is, what are the specific things members do
to keep their jobs? Explain each reason and its workings carefully. What woul
d you do to reform American national politics to allow for more successful chall
enges to congressional incumbency?
5. Discuss the four main themes demonstrated by the Supreme Court s work, as mentio
ned during lectures. Give specific examples of cases which exemplify each. Mak
e sure to use at least four different court cases to make your points. Has the
Supreme Court s workload increased, decreased, or stayed about the same in recent
years? What explains that?