POLS 103 – J. Scarffe

POLS 103 – J. Scarffe Exam 1 Review SP20
Exam Format

Part 1 – Multiple Choice
There are 30 questions spread out pretty evenly between Units 1-6. The questions come from the textbook, the lecture
slides and the other content on Canvas. Some hints for studying include focusing on the following:
• Unit 1 – key theoretical concepts such as: politics, state of nature, social contract, natural rights, political
culture, oligarchy, monarchy, aristocracy, totalitarianism, republic, democracy (representative and direct)
• Unit 2 – the definitions of, differences between and values of the 5 main political ideologies
• Unit 3 – the key events leading to, and the main ideas contained in, the Declaration of Independence, the
Articles of Confederation and the Constitution. These include: Mayflower Compact, 1st & 2nd Continental
Congresses, Common Sense, Shay’s Rebellion, the Great Compromise, Federalists & Anti-Federalists.
• Unit 4 – the enumerated, reserved, concurrent and prohibited powers, horizontal federalism, unitary and
confederal systems, the Supremacy Clause, the Full Faith & Credit Clause, the Necessary & Proper Clause; the
different phases of federalism: Dual, Cooperative, New; advantages of federalism
• Unit 5 – the liberties outlined in the Bill of Rights and the limits on those liberties
• Unit 6 – the key events (constitutional amendments, Supreme Court cases, acts of congress) related to the
struggle for civil rights for all in the US; how the 14th Amendment relates both to civil rights and civil liberties
**Remember the Additional VIDEOS and ARTICLES**
Part 2 – Short Essays
There will be 2 sets of questions, each with 2 choices. You will choose one from each set.
Your response should be one robust paragraph. Responses should include the significance of what you describe and
examples as appropriate.
Likely topics include:
• Describing the differences between a republic and a representative democracy
• Describing differences between various ideologies from Unit 2
• Comparing the Articles of Confederation to the US Constitution in terms of the structure (branches) of
government
• The role of compromise in the debates and votes over the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution
• Federalism: the division of powers between state and federal government as described by the Constitution
(note: this is not about the different ways of sharing power such as confederal, federal and unitary; it is about
how power is divided under federalism in the US)
• The meaning and application of one of the key themes from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from a
Birmingham Jail”; the possibilities include:
o Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere
o Justice too long delayed is justice denied
o There are just and there are unjust laws
o I must confess that over the last few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate
o Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever
o I must affirm that it is just as wrong, or even more so, to use moral means to preserve immoral ends

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