1. On Tuesday, November 3rd the United States held elections for the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the presidency. It saw the Biden campaign flip a number of states into the Democratic column, but it saw the Republicans gain seats in the House and (presumably) hold on to the Senate—in the face of projections of major Republican losses in both.
Moreover, the election saw voter turnout rise significantly, to the highest level in over a century. Based on the material we looked at this semester (you do NOT needed to make use of anything outside the course), tell me two things. First, why was voter turnout so much higher in this election cycle? Second, what reasons can you give for why the results of the election seem to favor both sides at the same time? In doing this, make sure to draw upon material from both before and after the midterm.
2.Groups like the National Rifle Association are often times held up as having a huge amount of sway in American politics, even though they directly represent a relatively small number of Americans. Indeed, as we talked about this term, most successful interests groups are relatively small (at least compared to the nation as a whole). So, how can a group that is so small (relatively speaking) play such a big role in shaping our nation’s policies? In answering this make sure to think about and touch on (at minimum): the way interest groups operate, the way we vote, and the way we structure elections and representation in the United States. (Do not spend your time simply talking about the NRA; not hat the purpose of the question)
.3. In terms of the allocation of power within the federal government the Constitution has remained largely unchanged since the founding of the United States. Yet, even the briefest examination of American politics shows a dramatically different balance between political actors and branches today than would have the case 100 or 200 years ago. Given the fixed nature of formal constitutional authority and the obviously more changing nature of informal power, please answer this question:
Based off of your semester-long of American politics, do you believe that formal constitutional ‘authority’ or informal ‘power’ is more important to how our political system works? Citing examples, tell me why you believe this to be the case.
4.At the confirmation hearing for Justice Neil Gorsuch, most of the questions were far from hard hitting. Indeed, one of the questions was rather ridiculous and is the basis of your extra credit for this exam. Answer the following question the was posed to Justice Gorsuch by Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ), keeping in mind that the more interesting your response the greater the amount of extra credit you will receive:
Would you rather fight 100 duck sized horses or 1 horse sized duck?
Explain.Please explain each question throughly and clearly. Answer all parts of the questions. Answer each with a few paragraphs
Requirements: 2-3 paragraphs each question
