Midterm exam

The exam is written, on paper, in class on March 5. Please bring a few pens. You may not use books, notes, or devices. 

Format: I will ask you three essay questions. You should plan to answer each question thoroughly, by making an argument. Figure maybe about three paragraphs or so each.

Content: The exam covers the Stasavage book. Here is my advice about the things you should know:

• With the exceptions of Britain and the United States (see below), I am not going to ask you about any one particular ancient or medieval political system. However, I will ask you to refer to examples when I ask you about particular concepts. So I advise you to pick out a few of the societies covered in the book and be familiar enough with them that you will be able to apply some of the main concepts to them.  
• As a reminder, there are several running themes throughout the book. One is about the factors that make it more likely that societies end up more autocratic or more democratic - these include things like bureaucratic capacity, information, exit options, and some others. Another is about the features of democracy, including regular consent for rulers and broad representation. 
• Modern democracy requires some specialized institutions, that evolved in some particular places. In different ways, Britain and the United States developed institutions that advanced the development of democracy generally. Think about parliamentary supremacy and the absence of mandates in Britain, or mass suffrage combined with some insulation between citizens and representatives in the United States.

This is not an exam in which I am going to be content with you identifying concepts. You are going to need to be able to explain them, in ways that show actual understanding. So, the questions I ask might not necessarily be straightforward. You will need to think things through before you answer.