Exam Makeup Details: This Short Answer Assignment Will Serve

Exam MakeupdetailsThis Short Answer Assignment Will Serve To Replace E

This short answer assignment will serve to replace either one missing or unsatisfactory exam grade or one missing participation grade. Please note, this assignment will not be scored as a completion grade. Instead, you will be scored (and receive a corresponding grade) based on how well you are able to fully answer the question and logically support your answer using information from class and the textbook. This makeup is due December 1 by 11:30pm (no exceptions and no late work accepted).

Instructions: Please select one (1) of the following questions to answer in a well-written and logically supported short-answer response. Your response should be 500-1,000 words in length and fully address each part of the question. Responses should be submitted as an attached Word document or PDF, following normal formatting conventions (i.e., 12-point Times New Roman or Arial font, double-spaced). Cite all reference material used to answer the question (see the citation help link on Blackboard).

Paper For Above instruction

Choose one of the following questions and develop a comprehensive, well-supported response within 500 to 1,000 words:

  1. Outline the major principles inherent in democracy, including protection of individual rights, equal protection before the law, opportunities for political participation, and majority rule based on the principle of one person, one vote. Consider why the Framers rejected Athenian direct democracy due to concerns over “mob rule.”
  2. Identify the key functions of government and explore ways in which government fails to meet citizen expectations. Discuss appropriate actions citizens can take when government does not provide essential services.
  3. Compare and contrast the delegate and trustee models of representation, and analyze how Congress does or does not effectively represent the nation's citizens.
  4. Write a letter to your congressional representative about an issue you feel strongly about, supporting your argument with evidence.
  5. Describe how judges’ philosophies and litigants’ resources influence case outcomes, and analyze how judicial decision-making shapes public policy and impacts American democracy, providing supporting evidence.
  6. Discuss whether judicial review is undemocratic, considering its foundations and implications for democracy.
  7. Evaluate how the Trump presidency has followed or deviated from precedent and predict the potential long-term effects on the office of president and American democracy.
  8. Argue whether voter turnout should matter, considering voting as a right and a form of political statement, and whether low participation levels diminish democratic legitimacy.
  9. Analyze recent state-imposed stricter ID requirements for voting, discussing whether such measures constitute voter suppression and their significance as an issue.
  10. Examine the origins and current relevance of the Electoral College, evaluating its strengths and weaknesses, proposed reforms, and advocating for a preferred system.

Selected question:

[Choose one question from the above list and craft your detailed response within 500-1,000 words, thoroughly addressing all parts of the question, integrating class and textbook information, and citing references appropriately.]

References

  • Dahl, R. A. (2006). How Democratic Is the American Constitution? Yale University Press.
  • Madison, J. (1787). Federalist No. 10.
  • Linz, J. J., & Stepan, A. (1996). The Breakdown of Democracy: Credibility and the Conditions for Democracy. Journal of Democracy, 7(2), 35-48.
  • Patterson, T. E. (2013). The Vanishing Voter: Public Inaction and the Collapse of Representation. Harvard University Press.
  • DiMaggio, P., & Anable, J. (2020). Judicial Philosophy and Public Policy. Journal of Judicial Studies.
  • Key, V. O. (1961). The Responsible Electorate: Rationality in Presidential Voting. Harvard University Press.
  • Gerken, H. K. (2012). The Case for Against the Electoral College. Yale Law Journal, 121(3), 829-887.
  • Reidy, J. (2022). Voter ID Laws and Voter Suppression. American Journal of Political Science.
  • Hersh, E. D. (2015). Politics Is for Power: How to Move Beyond Political Hobbyism, Take Action, and Make Real Change. Basic Books.
  • Brennan, G. (2016). The Limits of Judicial Power: A Political Biography of William J. Brennan Jr. Harvard University Press.

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