Write a short essay response to
your choice of TWOof the following prompts. Write approximately 1 to 1.5 pages (250 to 400 words) per prompt. Total writing should be approximately 2-3 pages (500 to 800 words). Overly long submissions will result in substantial point deductions.
Save your answers in one Word (.docx) or PDF (.pdf) document. Upload to Blackboard using the “Browse my computer” option.
Submissions that do not comply with these submission guidelines will not be graded. .pages and .gdoc files are not readable through Blackboard.
1.This is NOT a research paper.
You only need to use your textbook as a source
We the People(12th edition) by Thomas Patterson, which is published by McGraw-Hill
.Provide proper in-test citations if you quote but rely most on paraphrase and summary. Overquotation will result in deduction of points. Provide a fully-formed MLA or APA works cited entry for the relevant textbook chapter at the end of each essay. Click here for help on how to write MLA or APA citations:
https://library.cscc.edu/mla8
https://library.cscc.edu/apa
The essay submission is worth 100 points. You will be graded on your understanding of course material, your critical thinking ability, your respectful use of source material (using excellent paraphrasing and summarizing skills) and your writing mechanics. See rubric below for details.
Choose TWO of the prompts:
1.Compare and contrast the American cultural ideals of liberty, individualism and equality. Define each in your own words and discuss the differences between them. Give some examples of how each one is reflected in U.S. culture today. Finally, explain why America struggles most with the concept of
equality.
2.Compare and contrast the two major compromises of the Constitution: the Great Compromise and the Three-Fifths Compromise. Be sure to describe each one in your own words, and to show their similarities and differences. Finally, comment on what you see as the drawbacks or shortcomings of each.
3.Describe the differences between dual federalism and cooperative federalism. Why did a system of cooperative federalism develop in the U.S. in the 1930s? Why is that the system that best fits the United States government today? Do you believe that the expansion of the federal government’s policy power over the states is a positive or negative one for the U.S.? Explain.
4.Discuss the power of
incumbencyin deciding Congressional elections. Why do incumbents usually win? Discuss and elaborate on the three interrelated reasons your book gives for this fact. Finally, state your own thoughts about the “incumbency effect”. Is it a positive or negative situation for U.S. voters? If you feel it is negative, what changes to the system of elections would you suggest that might make it easier for challengers to win?
Rubric:
Understands course content40
Displays strong critical thinking skills30
Uses source respectfully15
Displays excellent writing mechanics15
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100 points total