For Monday:
Fourth assignment
Final Exam
For next time,
Choose one:
1. Pick a democratic country with which you are familiar, either through study or firsthand experience. How does that country's party system differ from that of the United States? Consider demographics, ideology, electoral process, and governmental structure.
2. Pick any elected official (e.g., federal or state lawmaker, mayor, supervisor) who serves the area from which you come. (President and vice president do not count.) If you are an international student, just pick one who interests you. How did that person get that office? Consider the official's characteristics and support base, as well as the makeup of the constituency. If that constituency strongly favors one party or the other, consider how the official became the party's choice. Again, pay attention to the local electoral process.
Instructions:
The final exam for this course will take place in our regular classroom on Tuesday, May 13 from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM. It will have three parts.
Part I: Identifications (4 points each) In two or three sentences each, briefly identify the meaning and significance of 12 out of 14 names or terms. These items will come from the "key terms" list at the end of each Lowi chapter, the topics of other assigned readings, and items we discussed in class. Also see the blog and your own class notes. (If you have not been taking notes, you should start.)
Part II. Short essays. Answer three of four. Each answer should take about half a page. (6 points each). These questions will involve key passages from Tocqueville, the Federalist, and other course readings, as well as topics we discussed in class. Again, the blog and class notes will be an important source.
Part III. Longer essays. Answer two of three essay questions (17 points each). Each answer should take about 2-3 large bluebook pages or 3-4 small bluebook pages. Here you should show that you can discuss some of the broader themes of the course.
Bonus questions. For one point each, identify relatively obscure names from current events or the readings.
For examples, see the "air midterm" that I posted earlier. I shall also post a practice final toward the end of the semester.
For Monday, Lowi, ch. 10.
IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON A JOB AS A JOURNALIST, SOME ITEMS TO CONSIDER:
From Pew:
Trust in media
Peter Navarro managed to get an opinion piece on the Trump tariffs published in the FT (surprising enough in itself). Navarro's rhetoric isn't really new, but the 900+ comments are worth sticking around for – the FT comments are unrelenting (even more so than usual).
Post papers to Canvas
This week, I will put up a guide to studying for the final.
For Wednesday, https://libguides.sandiego.edu/fakenews
What is public opinion?
Attitudes: "evaluative" and "affective" orientations: approve/disapprove and like/dislike
Knowledge (Lowi 288-289): Most people, most of the time, know very little about politics.
