Government 317, Fall 2002 Final Exam Study Guide

The exam will include a number of short-answer questions and one longer essay question. The long essay will count for half the exam grade. For the long essay I will give you a choice between two of the following. That is, of the three questions, I'll pick two from which you are to choose one to answer. I expect you both to draw clearly on the required reading and to engage the ideas I talked about in lectures. Wording on the actual exam may vary slightly.

1. Explain why the cartoon (below) is funny (if it is funny). Review the theories and evidence about elections and voting that relate to what the TV commentator is saying: ``The party of the winning presidential candidate usually loses seats in the next election.''

2. Explain why the cartoon (below) is funny (if it is funny). Review the theories and evidence about elections and voting--and about what was special about the 2000 election--that relate to what Gore is saying: ``More proof!''

3. Consider two ways a person may participate in politics: contributing money to a campaign and turning out to vote. How well can these activities be explained as rational, self-interested behavior? How can one explain a pattern in which contributions from individuals are up while voter turnout is down? Is that the pattern over the past few decades in American politics? What difference does it make?