Political Issues

QUESTION 1

1. With regard to President George W. Bush's national-security strategy, Howard Zinn agrees that this strategy does all of the following except

	A.	violate the principles laid out at Nuremberg.
	B.	repudiate the UN charter.
	C.	dramatically depart from the historical practice of the United States.
	D.	shock many Americans.

10 points   

QUESTION 2

1. In a debate between Jeff Madrick and Jim DeMint, the former would contend that regulations often make economies work better. For instance, they can make product/service information more open; they can reduce corruption, monopolistic pricing, and anti-competitive policies regarding research, innovation, and new products; they can temper financial speculation, which distorts the flow of capital toward inefficient uses and can often lead to costly corrections and serious recessions, as occurred yet again in 2008. Formulate a two paragraph response you think DeMint might give.

Path:  p Words:0

10 points   

QUESTION 3

1. Mark Green, who believes that America should adopt public financing of political campaigns, insists that candidates who accept public funds should be required to

		debate.
		purchase predetermined chunks of airtime.
		provide precise accounting of all soft monies.
		publish a voters' guide.

10 points   

QUESTION 4

1. "Soft money" is money that is

		donated anonymously.
		contributed with the understanding of quid pro quo.
		contributed to individuals.
		contributed to political parties.

10 points   

QUESTION 5

1. Imagine that you are writing a reform bill for election campaigns.  What three items would you include, and why? If you do not believe that a bill is necessary, explain your position with three reasons that support your views.  Essay should be no less than two paragraphs.

Path:  p Words:0

10 points   

QUESTION 6

1. According to Ezra Klein, the filibuster was

		an invention of the Founding Fathers.
		the brainchild of Speaker of the House Henry Filibuster in 1802.
		a nineteenth-century Senate rule-book accident.
		known as the “gerrymander” until the twentieth century.

10 points   

QUESTION 7

1. A major factor in the U.S. public’s lack of confidence in Congress, Lee Hamilton maintains, can be attributed to

		the frequent foreign trips taken by members.
		a seemingly endless series of campaigns.
		the fact that few people investigate candidates’ positions before voting.
		the perception of Congress being paralyzed by internal bickering.

10 points   

QUESTION 8

1. Assuming the position of either George Caram Steeh or Henry Hudson, formulate two paragraphs on the constitutionality of government mandated health care that you think would be the most persuasive message to share with others.

Path:  p Words:0

10 points   

QUESTION 9

1. Robert George quotes Justice Byron White, who argued that fetal development is

		gradual.
		continuous.
		slow.
		incremental.

10 points   

QUESTION 10

1. Which one of the following statements most closely reflects Mary Gordon's attitude toward abortion and the most effective way to deal with this issue?

		Women should push for FDA approval of the RU-486 pill so they will not have to go to abortion clinics.
		Women should be more careful in their sexual practices.
		Women must make a morally responsible choice when they are faced with an unwanted pregnancy.
		Women should not view an unborn fetus as a human being in order to make the choice to end a pregnancy an easier one.