Government

Humanities

Instruction: Please answer two of the following three questions. Each answer should be 2-3 pages in length for a test with a final page count that totals 4-6pages. Please do not include the question in your essay answers. Your paper, if well-written, should have your topic somewhere in the introductory paragraph. Adding the question will not count toward the length of the test. Once completed, please submit in the Dropbox folder labeled “Test #2.” Only use materials found in our textbook (We the People, 11th Essentials Edition by Ginsberg et al.) or the book’s PowerPoints that I posted in D2L. Do not use outside materials. Please only submit one document for both answers, not two documents for each answer. The test is due Friday, 12/14 @10:00 PM. No tests will be accepted after this time. Please use the following format:

Submit as a .doc, .docx. or .pdf file ONLY

•Double spaced

•12 pt Arial or Times New Roman font

Tips: Read my advice document. To briefly summarize that advice: A good essay will include an introductory paragraph which briefly states the ideas you will discuss, a body that fleshes those ideas out, and finally a closing paragraph summarizing your conclusion(s). Please keep in mind that one of my primary concerns is your ability to communicate your ideas clearly to the reader. If you have good ideas but your essay is poorly worded or difficult to read, you will lose points. I should not have to read a sentence multiple times to figure out what you are trying to say.

I highly recommend that you write a draft, read it numerous times, and edit it often. You have until Friday at 10pm, nearly three whole days, so I expect you to write them well. Since you will be using a word processor, I also expect that you will not make spelling mistakes. Please utilize the spell check tool. Remember, I will also be checking for plagiarism through Turnitin.com, and points will be heavily deducted if you plagiarize. Also, this is not a group project. You must work on this alone. If I discover you worked together with other classmates (or anyone else), you and all else involved will receive a 0 on the assignment. If I discover you used outside help, you will receive a 0 as well. Again, only use materials found in your textbook and the PowerPoints. No outside sources.

Questions:

1) The fight for freedom and equality are themes that run deeply throughout American history and even up until this very day. The United States federal government has taken numerous steps to ensure various liberties and rights for individuals from the inception of the Constitution to more recent legislation and Supreme Court rulings that have extended them to marginalized groups that did not previously possess them. In our textbook, Ginsberg et al. make a sharp distinction between civil liberties and civil rights. What is the difference between them? A good answer will consist of (a) a description of both, (b)how they are different, and (c)one (1) example of each

2) While political parties are not mentioned in the Constitution, they play a prominent role in government and politics today in the United States. In our study of political parties, Ginsberg etal. discussed six historical party systems that have existed in the United States. Please list and describe three of these party systems. You should Include in your three the party system the U.S. is in today. A good answer will include

(a)what is meant by a party system, (b)the main parties in these three systems, and (c) the key issues that define/defined them.

3) Public opinion polls are often cited by media and politicians as evidence that the American public supports or disapproves a policy or specific political figure. Given how important they appear to be, it seems quite reasonable to question their reliability. How reliable do you think they are? What are some of the ways polls can be inaccurate? A good answer will be informed by our textbook and should include (a) a definition of public opinion, and (b) how public opinion can be properly measured