University:
Whitman College
Course:
POL-109 | Introduction to U.S. Politics and Policymaking
Academic year:

2021
Views:

89

Pages:

2
Author:

Ean Mason

Final Exam Essay Questions These are the possible questions for the essay portion of the final exam. Please be aware that Blackboard will randomly select 5 of these questions for you to answer. Explain the different levels and jurisdictions of the federal court system. Be specific. 94 District court, 12 circuit court (13 w U.S. Court of Appeals for Federal Circuit), and 1 supreme court. District court has original jurisdiction. Oversees state law violations or county ordinances Circuit court with appellate and original jurisdiction. dissatisfied with district court. Felony cases Supreme court appellate Explain the constitutional process for the selection of federal judges. What are the criteria used by presidents to make their selections? Describe the impact of the president's party identification on their selection of judges. Be specific. All federal judges are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate Senatorial courtesy is often invoked for lower level federal courts Merit Political ideology: strict constructionism vs. judicial interpretivism Reward Representation Confirmation by the Senate: How easy or difficult will the confirmation process be? Freedom of religion may seem to be a relatively easy concept to interpret; however, it is far more complex than it seems on the surface. Describe the establishment clause and the free exercise clause. Why has each been so controversial? What has the Supreme Court ultimately ruled regarding these two clauses? Establishment clause = states that the government may not create and support an official state religion Free exercise clause = citizens may freely engage in the religious activities of their choice Explain the various standards used by the courts when laws treat groups differently. What are the three legal classifications, and what groups fall under those classifications? What standard of review does the court apply for each classification? Why is a group's legal classification so important? Classifications: Suspect classification = compelling state interest and strict scrunity (race) Quasi-suspect classification = intermediate standard review (gender) Non-suspect classification = minimum rationality review (age, economic status) What factors have led to (and helped maintain) the U.S. two-party system? What are the strengths and weakness of the two-party system? Be specific. disagreements over three main issues: the nature of government, the economy and foreign policy Discuss the different strategies used during presidential elections. What are the strategies and characteristics at the preprimary, primary, and general election stages? How does the primary election strategy differ from the strategy of the general election campaign? From the time we are born, many things shape our political attitudes and beliefs. Discuss how our opinions are formed. What aspect(s) of political socialization have the biggest impact on opinions? Explain your answer. How does media outlet ownership impact news content and journalism? Be specific.

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