The following should give you an idea of the exam format. As you prepare, also take a look at the air midterm.
I. Identify the meaning and significance of 14 of the 16 following items (4 points each).
- War Powers Resolution
- NSC
- US v. Curtiss-Wright
- Executive agreements
- The Russo-Japanese War
- Front-loading
- Solicitor General
- Policy streams
- Line-item veto
- Election of 1876
- The 25th Amendment
- Rahm Emanuel
- Abe Fortas
- Mandatory spending
- The Little Rock executive order
II. Quotations: for three of the following four statements, explain who made it and why (4 points each).
- But every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle. We have been called by different names brethren of the same principle. We are all republicans, we are all federalists.
- The money changers have fled from their high seats in the temple of our civilization.We may now restore that temple to the ancient truths. The measure of the restoration lies in the extent to which we apply social values more noble than mere monetary profit.
- In closing, let me say this: I will do my best, but I will not do it alone. Let your voice be heard. Whenever you have a chance, say something good about our country. With God's help and for the sake of our Nation, it is time for us to join hands in America. Let us commit ourselves together to a rebirth of the American spirit Working together with our common faith we cannot fail.
- Homeland defense and missile defense are part of stronger security; they're essential priorities for America. Yet, the war on terror will not be won on the defensive. We must take the battle to the enemy, disrupt his plans, and confront the worst threats before they emerge. In the world we have entered, the only path to safety is the path of action, and this Nation will act.
III. Answer two of three essay questions (16 points each). Each answer should take 2-3 large bluebook pages or 3-4 small bluebook pages.
- In Federalist 8, Hamilton wrote: “It is of the nature of war to increase the executive at the expense of the legislative authority.” Have the past two decades confirmed or disconfirmed this observation? Explain, with examples.
- Could Hillary Clinton have won the 2008 Democratic nomination? If not, why not? If so, how?
- See the excerpt below. Do you agree or disagree? Explain with reference to course materials.
A Democratic president, you'd think, would stick to Franklin D. Roosevelt or Jack Kennedy as role models. Not Barack Obama. As he faces tough times—economically and politically—I am told that he and his advisers are turning to an unusual source for inspiration: Ronald Reagan. Looking back, it shouldn't be a total surprise. On the campaign trail in 2008, Obama said nice things about the Gipper. Reagan, Obama said, "tapped into what people were already feeling, which was: we want clarity, we want optimism, we want a return to a sense of dynamism and entrepreneurship that had been missing." (At the time, Obama's ode to Ronald seemed nothing more than a jab at the Clintons (who were infuriated), and a bid for Republican votes. But now I see that it was Obama's tell: the clue to how he views himself, politics, and the presidency. He thinks he is Reagan in reverse—a patient, genial game changer for the ages—and his confidence helped soothe the economic panic of a year ago. But it isn't clear whether the president really understands the causes of the Old Man's successes, or the sobering lessons of his failures.
Bonus questions (one point each)
- Larry Speakes
- Edwin Stanton
- Donna Shalala
- Penelope Smith
- Alexis Simendinger
