PART I. Essay Directions: Answer the following essay question, explaining your position as thoroughly and as completely as possible, using examples from notes and readings. Use your mind and take your time, in short, be brilliant! (30 total points) Remember that a detailed response is the key to a successful essay answer.
ESSAY Question: The Presidency: What was the original intent for the role of the President, and how has the Executive Office changed over time (think in terms of physical size and range of powers)? What are some of the Constitutional responsibilities and informal duties that the President must perform? Also, in your opinion, how has technology impacted the power of the presidency? Give specific examples to illustrate and support your viewpoint.
PART II. Identification: Choose 10 of the following 18 options to answer.
Directions: Identify or explain the importance or significance of ten (10) of the following eighteen (18) options:
**Remember, provide a working definition for these terms, and tie your answers into the context of this course. (For instance, why do we care about these things in our study of American Government?)** (10 X 5 points = 50 total points)
1. Gerrymandering
2. Cloture
3. Filibuster
4. Instructed Delegate vs. Trustee models (in regards to legislative styles)
5. Presidential honeymoon period
6. Executive Privilege
7. Line Item Veto
8. Appellate Jurisdiction
9. Chief Justice
10. Plumbook System vs. Merit System (in the US Bureaucracy)
11. Sunshine Laws
12. Judicial Activism
13. Judicial Restraint
14. Term limit of Federal Judges
15. Progressive Tax
16. Proportional Tax
17. Regulated Capitalist Economy
18. Discretionary Spending
PART III. Short Answer: Write on two (2) of the three (3) following options: (10 points each X 2 = 20 total points)
1. What is “reapportionment”, how often does it occur, and how does it impact the United States Congress?
2. In what ways does the House of Representatives differ from the Senate? Also, in your opinion, what are some of the benefits/drawbacks of a bicameral legislative structure?
3. Federal Budget Crisis: Explain why the national debt continued to grow throughout most of our country’s history. Also, what factors make it so difficult to “balance” the federal budget? Be sure to explain the difference between federal deficits and the national debt.
