POLS 2301 FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDEYou will have two hours to complete the exam in a single sitting. Availability will begin at 7amTuesday, May 4 and ends at 11:59pm Friday, May 7.Your answers should be drawn from: mynotes, the text, module overviews, videos, discussion boards, assignments, and your originalthoughts. Each essayshould be answered in about 800 words or roughly the equivalentof 2 single-spaced pages. I do not want to see any numbering or bullet points. Answersshould be in your own words and in a conversational essay style format. You don’t have to citethe textbook or my notes but reference the assigned videos by name or topic. You may refer toand properly cite outside sources (current events or scholarly works) at a minimum. This exam must be proctored and so I have selected Respondus Lockdown Browser and Monitor,because there is no cost to students. I urge everyone to download Respondus prior to final examavailability. It is also important to remember that you need time to run a system check andpossibly to download Respondus, so don’t log into D2L at 11:55pm on May 7 and think youwill have time to access the exam. You must have a camera and present either a UNG ID orsome other form of identification like a Passport. Please be aware that you cannot leave the exampage in D2L for any reason and this includes copying and pasting pre-written responses.Responses must be directly entered in D2L in the allotted time, but you may refer to the texts andprinted notes and/or electronic sources on another device while completing the exam. Ifproblems arise, contact me via email and I will consider extensions within reason. For all of the essays I am looking for answers that clearly articulate what you have learned withrelevant examples. In addition, answers should contain analysis. This includes compare/contrast,assessing strengths and weaknesses, and your opinion (if applicable). In turn, be very concise inyour response and balance description with analysis.The two essay questions below will appear on the exam, with each responsecounting as fifty points or fifty percent of your exam grade.1.How are the political systems of Brazil and Mexico similar or different to one another?What has been the response of each country to political and socio-economic challenges?Is Democracy stronger today in each country than it was when regime transition began? 2.Describe the post-colonial experiences of Nigeria and South Africa in regards todemocratization and maintaining a cohesive country. Review the political systems of bothcountries and the extent to which each have addressed corruption and economicinequality.General Response Notes:Q1: Discuss the executive and legislative branches in terms of selection andpowers. Mention some political parties and important figures. Also brieflyconsider the federal systems in each, judicial systems are optional fordiscussion. Crime, poverty, public health, the environment, and the economyshould be covered among challenges. Also review the role of a civil society in
each area. You don’t have to provide an in-depth historical account butprovide and analyze examples of the transition over the last two centuriestowards democracy in both countries. Is the transition complete in eithercase? Any of the videos should help, but Petrobras and Amazon under Brazilshould help the most. Q2: Focus on the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, but make somereferences to earlier events. What divides existed prior to and duringcolonialism and how has each country addressed these? Discuss theexecutive and legislative branches in terms of selection and powers. Mentionsome political parties and important figures along with a discussion of thefederal or unitary states and some reference to the courts. TRC and Mandelavideos should help on South Africa. For Nigeria, reference Boko Haram. All Key Terms: Module 14: Apartheid, Afrikaners, ANC, South Africa President, National Assembly,Democratic Alliance, Inkatha Freedom, Economic Freedom Fighters, Jacob Zuma, NelsonMandela, Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Constitutional Court, Land Reform, CivilSociety (South Africa), HIV/AIDS, and COVID in South AfricaModule 13: Igbo, Benjamin Azikiwe, Olusegun Obasanjo, Ken Saro-Wiwa, General Gowron,Muhammadu Buhari, Goodluck Jonathon, Federal Character Principle, Boko Haram, Corruption(Nigeria), MEND, Civil Society (Nigeria), SARS, and ECOWASModule 12:Getuilo Vargas, Joao Goulart, Truth Commission, Lula da Silva, Dilma Rousseff,Presidential Decrees, Petrobras, Bolsa Familia, Michel Temer, Jair Bolsonaro, Amazon De-Forestation, Chamber of Deputies, Favelas, and Brazil COVID ResponseModule 11: Porfirio Diaz, Pancho Villa, 1917 Constitution, PRI, PAN, PRD, MORENA,Mexican Congress, Mexican President, Andres Obrador, Mexican Drug Cartels, Mexican CivilSociety, NAFTA/USMCA, PROSPERA, and MigrationWhen answering an essay, keep spelling and grammatical errors to a minimum and complete the following tasks:Define the terms within the essay and any terms you introduce in your responses.Provide examples of all relevant material (key persons/institutions,policies, statistical trends, etc.) that demonstrate knowledge of thecontent associated with each essay.Analyze material associated with each essay. Analysis includes: (1)compare/contrast key terms, (2) strengths/weaknesses ofarguments, decisions, policies, etc., (3) tie material learned in thecourse to current events, and/or (4) a well-developed opinion.Review the key terms in each of the module overviews and plugthem as needed into each essay responseIncorporate the learning objectives from the weekly module overviews asapplicable
