Directions: Your final exam consists of two essay questions. You will choose you

Directions:
Your final exam consists of two essay questions. You will choose your two questions from the four available below.
Each question is worth 50 points.
You will use your course materials to answer these questions.
Note that you should NOT use external sources for your exam. Everything you need to answer these questions has been covered in the course, so no outside research is necessary. Rely on your notes, the video lectures, and any of the assignments that we have done throughout the term.
Rubric:
I will be grading based on the following criteria:
Detail: I want to see specifics from lecture and the readings, including the use of key terms and examples. Breadth of detail is important, meaning you should cover as much as you can about a given subject.
Synthesis: On questions two, three, and four, I am looking for evidence that you can connect the themes and concepts between chapters – i.e., use ideas from one chapter to elaborate on or explain a concept from another.
Organization: I am looking for clearly defined answers, neatly organized paragraphs, and complete responses to each sub-question.
Writing: I am looking for clean spelling, grammar, and formatting.
Guidelines and Notes:
Length: No length requirements. Answers should be as long as necessary to answer each question. The more detail, the better!
Formatting: 12 point, Times New Roman font, double-spaced, 1″ margins, PDF and Word Doc formats allowed.
Sources: Do not use outside sources. As such, no works cited page is necessary. Feel free to reference certain readings or documents that we have used in class, though you do not need to cite the video lectures (though you should utilize them to answer the questions).
Writing: Pay attention to spelling, grammar and organization, as you will be graded on the quality of your writing.
Label: Clearly label each question that you are responding to (e.g. Question #1… Question #2… and so forth).
Feedback: Once you have received your grade, please feel free to reach out to me for comments and feedback on your exam.
No Late Submissions: Late submissions will not be accepted, as grades need to be submitted to HCC shortly after the due date.
The Exam
Choose two (2) of the following questions:
Question #1:
Describe and explain the evolution of the civil rights movement after Reconstruction. What were some of the main political and social challenges that black Americans faced in the following decades? Describe and explain how the battleground where the fight for civil rights was fought evolved over time and why? What were some of the critical Supreme Court cases during these years and why were they so pivotal? Finally, what were the key events in the final years of the movement that led to the biggest successes? What were those successes and what did they establish? Be specific in your responses.
Question #2:
Describe the system of checks and balances that exist in the federal government. What are the key institutions that compose the federal government, what are their roles and powers, and what mechanisms do each branch hold to provide checks on the others? How has power shifted over time between these branches? Have some branches become more powerful while others have weakened? Which ones and how? Finally, where do state governments fit into this picture? What does the distribution of power look like between state governments and the federal government? How has that changed over time and what were some of the major drivers of that change?
Question #3:
Explain the nature of public opinion in the United States. What are the component parts that make up a voter’s public opinion? Explain each part and provide examples. Do American voters tend to stay informed? Why or why not? What strategies might low-information voters use to help them decide who to choose in an election? Finally, describe the major factors that drive voter turnout and note some of the voting trends associated with each factor.
Question #4:
Discuss the evolution of the media and its role in politics. How did the way media is consumed evolve over time and were some of the major landmarks in that evolution? How have technology and social media affected the way the new media influences politics? Further, what tactics do politicians adopt when using the media to achieve their own political goals? Finally, discuss the regulation of the media. What are some of the dilemmas and questions associated with this regulation?