EXAM OVERVIEW

The exam consists of a series of short response style questions and prompts. There are two sections: a section that reflects the material in Governing California and a section that reflects the material in We The People.

You will respond to a total of seven prompts, three (3) from SECTION ONE and four (4)from SECTION TWO.

Your responses must include at least one citations/reference from at least one of the two core textbook. Responses that ignore the core textbook(s) will not receive strong marks.

 

CONSIDERATIONS

How Short (or Long) Should My Responses Be?

There is no minimum or maximum number of words for your responses. However, your responses need to demonstrate that you both read the material and understand it.

All questions correspond to material covered in “Governing California in the Twenty-First Century” (GCA) and “We the People” (WTP). Some questions may employ themes introduced in supplemental material, Canvas pages or documents.

Whenever possible, provide examples, evidence, statistics, anecdotes, or other means of supporting your claims. Demonstrate your understanding of the core concepts and always explain or justify your reasoning — even if the prompt does not specifically call for it. Be specific.

 

Outside Sources & Citations

No outside research is required, nor expected. Students may receive high marks and scores by using learning material exclusively from the course ecosystem (especially the textbooks). However, incorporating outside research to improve or provide evidence for your claims, including current events, news articles from reputable sources, and other scholarly sources, is welcomed.

A “Works Cited” page is not required if you are only citing the core textbooks. You can just put the abbreviation and page number in-line in your sentence. For example:

Politics is the art of conflict and compromise (WPT 23).

 

IMPORTANT: if you cite anything beyond the textbooks, you need to use a Works Cited with either In-Text Citations or Footnotes that refer to your Works Cited page. Moreover, if any part of your responses are informed by outside sources, you are obligated to provide a citation with the entire web address/link to where you found the information – and- and in-text or footnote/endnote style citation within your response. Failure to do so will result in no credit awarded to the question.

Note that there is no “style” requirements, just be consistent and be sure to cite the entire source and author on the Works Cited page (i.e., MLA, APA, APSA, etc.). In-text, endnotes, footnotes, etc.

Scoring

>>Each response is worth up to 4 points.

>>Responses must include at least one citations/reference from at least one of the two core textbook. Responses that ignore the core textbook(s) will not receive strong marks.

>>Responses that are both factually correct and demonstrate a clear understanding of the material (by way of examples, explanation, or analysis) will receive high-to-full marks, approximately 3.6 and 4.0 point.

>>Responses that are correct but do a less adequate job of demonstrating comprehension will receive between 3.2 and 3.5 points.

>>Responses that offer a limited but nevertheless “correct” understanding of the prompt will receive average marks, roughly 2.8 to 3.1 points.

>>Responses that offer very little in the way of substance or demonstrated comprehension will receive less than 2.7 points, and can earn as few as zero (0) points.

>>Whenever possible, provide examples or illustrations demonstrate your understanding of the core concepts. Always explain your reasoning even if the question does not specifically call for it.

SECTION ONE: Essential California Politics

INSTRUCTIONS:

Respond to each of the following three (3) prompts — no “skips” for this section:

• Should a legislator take orders from constituents or use his or her own best judgment, even if it is unpopular?
• Which is more important for governing: the formal or informal powers of the governor? Think about this question in terms of “necessary” versus “sufficient”
• What kinds of checks have been placed on the California judiciary? How do the other branches and political actors hold the state courts accountable?

 

SECTION TWO: Institutions of American Politics

INSTRUCTIONS:

• There are six “Numbered Sets” below, each with two prompt
• Select a single prompt choice from each NUMBERED SET to respond to, (i.e., #A -or- #B, not both #A and #B)

• However, you may completely SKIP the prompts from any single NUMBERED SET (e.g., you might choose to skip 6A and 6B, aka “Numbered Set 6”)
• In total, you will have four responses from this section: one response per set, minus one For example, your responses may look like this:

(1, 2, 3), 4a, 5b, 6 SKIP, 7b, 8b.

 

In the example, the student elected to SKIP prompts 6a and 6b, for a grand total of seven responses: the three (3) responses from SECTION ONE and four (4) responses from SECTION TWO.

4a) Group politics is said to reflect the idea of pluralism. What is pluralism, and what are some contemporary criticisms of pluralism or contrasting perspectives of American politics in practice?

-or-

4b) All interest groups need to recruit and retain members in order to achieve their political goals. Explain what the “free-rider” problem is and why it makes recruitment and retention difficult for interest groups. What benefits do interest groups rely on to attract and retain members?

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5a) There are many different ways in which members of Congress can represent the American people. Define and discuss the differences between sociological and agency representation. Which type of representation do you think the U.S. Congress provides best, and why?

-or-

 

5b) Describe the process by which a bill becomes a law. What are the major steps in the process? What are the main differences in the legislative process between the two houses of Congress?

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6a) One way presidents have expanded their power is through employing a strategy of “going public.” Describe what this strategy entails and what its limitations are. In your answer, be sure to provide specific examples of how particular presidents have used this strategy.

-or-

6b) Describe and discuss the different powers of the president. Specifically, define the differences between the president’s expressed, implied, delegated, and inherent powers and provide an example of each. What are some of the checks placed upon these powers by the other branches of government?

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7a) Describe and evaluate the three key strategies politicians have used to promote reform in the federal bureaucracy. What are some of the challenges associated with each different approach? Explain.

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7b) Congress has several tools of control over the bureaucracy as it interprets and implements laws that Congress has passed. What is congressional oversight and how does Congress exercise its oversight power? In your answer, be sure to describe the difference between “police patrol” and “fire alarm” oversight. How do inspectors general aid in oversight?

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8a) There are different kinds of judicial philosophy in how to interpret the law. Outline the theories of judicial restraint and judicial activism. Discuss an example of the Supreme Court employing judicial activism.

-or-

8b) Assess the exercise of judicial review. What is judicial review, what are its origins, and why has it remained an unquestioned power of the courts for so long? Provide some examples of notable uses of judicial review in Supreme Court history.

 

IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN SEVEN (7) RESPONSES YOU MISUNDERSTOOD OR DID NOT FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS