Answer each of the following two questions in two to three double spaced pages. Use 12 point Times New Roman font and one inch margins. Each question is worth 50 points. Submit your exam electronically anytime by 11:59PM Tuesday, March 30, as an attachment to Professor Unger at [email protected]. Be sure to answer each part of each question. Feel free to reference current events in your answer.
1. Both the U.S. Constitution and the ideas at the heart of American politics are filled with contradictions. Describe at least three of these contradictions. Have they been resolved, and if so, how? If not, how have these issues lingered on in U.S. political culture?
2. American federalism is a constant balancing act. Why? Define what federalism is, explain why it developed, and describe what you believe are its political strengths and weaknesses. Do you think federalism should be reformed in any way, or not? Explain.