Final Exam Study Guide for Polsci 111,
Intro to American Government & Politics, Spring 1998

Short essay (25 points). At the final we will pick three questions from the five listed below. You will be required to answer one of the three questions.

1) The president is granted few enumerated powers in the Constitution, yet over the past century the executive branch has become increasingly powerful. Why did the framers list so few executive powers in the Constitution? What are the major factors that explain the expansion of presidential power.

2) What are the major ways in which interest groups influence government? Is there a need to curb their influence? Explain your answer.

3) Federal court judges have lifetime tenure. That is, once appointed, they hold their positions for the rest of their lives. Why was the judiciary set up like this? Does this lead to a judiciary that is out of touch with what other political actors want? How might life tenure influence how judges make their decisions?

4) The bureaucracy makes policy in our system. How accountable are bureaucracies to the public? How have interest groups, presidents, Congress, and the courts tried to control the bureaucracy? Have these efforts been successful in making the bureaucracy more responsive to the public?

5) Your textbook states that "Congress writes the laws of the land." How does a bill become a law? Discuss the process from beginning to end. How does the process help ensure that bad policy does not get passed? Name at least 5 points where a bill may "die" on its way to becoming a law.

Long Essay (50 points). You will be required to answer one of the three questions. You can choose from any of the three.

1) Imagine you have befriended a recently arrived immigrant. She knows nothing about the American political system except that she has been told that the United States is fundamentally a democratic country. She wants to know how democracy works here. Your job is to educate your friend about how democratic the American system really is. In your argument, be sure to address the following: 1) What principles should a democratic country embrace? 2) How well does the U.S. Constitution enable the U.S. to achieve these principles? 3) What are the links between citizens and the government? And 4) how well do the national institutions of government serve to bolster democracy?

2) The American democratic myth is that government is "for the people, of the people, and by the people." We have learned in class that who wins in politics is largely a function of the rules. To what extent do the rules and structures of American politics allow "the people" to get their way? Which political institutions and organizations allow the American people greater political influence, and which allow for less? For the most part, do government actions correspond to public opinion?

3) Two of the main theories of how our government works are majoritarianism and pluralism. Define and explain each of these terms. Now consider what we learned about political behavior (e.g., political participation, socialization, voting, public opinion, etc.). Which of these aspects of political behavior most lead you to believe that our system is majoritarian? Which aspects most lead you to believe that our system is pluralist? Explain how these aspects are majoritarian or pluralist.

There will also be ten terms from which you must identify five (total 25 points). Identification requires you to define and explain the significance of each term. The terms will come from Chapters 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14.