Essay 1 1/2 to 2 page.
In 1 ½ to 2 pages, typed, double spaced, 1 inch margins, 12pt font, please answer ONE of the questions below. You do NOT need to do additional research, instead you can rely on what you have read in the text and anything we have watched or discussed in class.
Quotes and citations are NOT required. However, DO NOT PLAGIARIZE from the text or any other source. Essays containing plagiarism will receive a ZERO. If you do choose to include a quote, be sure to cite it and that it is not too long as this essay is relatively brief.
- Chart the changes in federalism throughout American history. What was dual federalism? How was governmental power distributed under this system? How did the Great Depression lead to the decline in dual federalism? What is cooperative Federalism?
- At the founding, only a minority of men who met property qualifications were able to vote. Describe changes to the electorate from the founding until today. Which groups gained the right to vote and when? How was this achieved? What barriers have been used to prevent different groups from voting and how have Supreme Court rulings and federal laws extended the franchise (vote) to all citizens, 18 years and older?
- Describe the piecemeal nationalization of the Bill of Rights. What was the Supreme Court’s earliest interpretation of the scope of the Bill of Rights? How did the Fourteenth Amendment challenge this interpretation? Describe the process of selective incorporation.
- The two main political parties have each changed drastically over time. What are the historical origins of the Democratic Party? Of the Republican Party? What is a party system? Describe some of the party systems that have arisen over the course of American history.
