Final Exam

The exam is written, on paper, in class on May 5. 

Format: I will ask you four essay questions. You should plan to answer each question thoroughly, by making an argument. Figure maybe about three paragraphs or so each. Please bring a few pens. You may not use books, notes, or devices. 

Content: The exam covers everything since the midterm, including the Noel book and the Levitsky and Ziblatt book. Here is my advice about the things you should know:

• What is a political ideology and where does it come from? Be ready to give examples of ideologies from American politics (that is, the Noel book). I may also ask you about conservativism as a way of thinking about how to make choices in the world, and liberalism as an idea about how societies ought to be governed.  
• Democracy requires specialized institutions to help people turn their individual preferences into actions on behalf of a group. Why? Be ready to describe one or more paradoxes of voting, and how "just adding up what everyone wants" isn't always easy or straightforward.
• Democracy in the United States today might be in trouble. Why? According to Levitsky and Ziblatt, the challenges to American democracy are much deeper than Donald Trump specifically, but are rooted in some institutional features of the American political system. Be prepared to discuss some of these. 

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.