Review for Final Exam

POLS 220                                                                                                             

BERCH

FALL 2014

 

FINAL EXAM REVIEW

Hi, everyone!  The final exam for this class will be held in our regular room on Friday, December 12, from 3 pm to 5 pm.  It will be closed-book and comprehensive.  All you need to bring is a pen and photo ID.  The exam will cover all material from the semester including lectures, blog posts and linked readings, and the comments of your colleagues.  Material will be fairly evenly distributed from throughout the semester, except that material covered since exam #2 is more likely to appear on the exam.  The format will be similar to that of the quizzes.  Specifically, there will be four "short essay" sections, and two true-false sections (each with 5 questions).  You will answer 4 sections (you may answer 4 short essay sections OR 3 short essay sections plus one true-false section OR 2 short essay sections plus both true-false sections.  Each section is worth 5 points.  You get 5 points just for taking the exam, for a total of 25

Besides going over this review sheet and reviewing the material (and I urge to understand rather than memorize), you will have a number of opportunities to ask questions:
1.  You may email me at the address on the syllabus (berchnorto@msn.com).
2.  You may ask questions in the form of comments on this blog post.  I will reply to those questions on the blog, until 8:00 pm on December 11 (same for emailed questions).
3.  We will have an in-class review on December 3.
4.  I will have regular office hours on December 3 and December 8, as well as special office hours on December 10 from 10:30 to 12:00.

 
Material you should understand includes:
1.  How political scientists explain differences between states and why they use states as a laboratory.
2.  The three types of political culture.
3.  The origins of federalism, including the choices the constitution writers faced.
4.  The major events in the history of federalism, including court cases, amendments, etc.
5.  Fiscal federalism, including types of grants, the role of conditions of aid, the changes made by Ronald Reagan, and why some states get more federal aid than others.
6.  The general trends toward greater national control and marble cake federalism.
7.  The role of regional bodies.
8.  Dillon's Rule and Home Rule.
9.  How interest groups are affected by the free rider problem, and why some interest groups are more likely to form than are others.
10.  The reasons for the decline of political parties in the states.
11.  The difficulties facing third parties and why they are sometimes able to overcome them.
12.  Why some states have higher voter turnout than do others, and the ways in which states might try to raise turnout (including the article you read on incentives).
13.  How the legislature has become more professionalized.
14.  The role of committees in the legislature.
15.  The role of norms in the legislature.
16.  Cue voting.
17.  The types of representation voters expect from legislators.
18.  Gerrymandering, including when it is legal and when it is illegal.
19.  The increasing power and competence of governors.
20.  The line item veto, including its variations, arguments for and against it, and whether it works in the states.
21.  Why governors have a harder time getting reelected than do other officials.
22.  The reasons for the growth of bureaucracy.
23.  The general characteristics of bureaucracy.
24.  The problems and good points with bureaucracy.
25.  The ways in which elected officials control bureaucracy.
26.  The different methods for choosing judges, including their advantages and disadvantages.
27.  The different structures for local government, including their advantages and disadvantages.

 Ask questions, study hard, and good luck!.--NB