Answer one question in a coherent essay that answers all parts of the question by making one or more central claims, supported by many specific facts. Your essay will be graded for its content, writing, and organization, as described below, under "Grading Principles for the First Esay Examination."
Format: Type or computer print your answers on normal-sized (8 1/2 x 11") paper, double spaced with one-inch margins and using a 12-point font. Put your name, course and section number, and the number of the question you're answering on the top of the first page. Please do not use a cover sheet, binder, or cover. Staple the pages together.
Sources, citations, and quotations: The rules are the same as on the short papers. You need to provide brief citations in author-date format (e.g., "Klinkner 1999, p. 15") to document how you have used the sources. You need at least four citations for every 300 words (four per page). If you use readings other than the required ones, provide a bibliography with full references to those items, including author, title, publisher, date, and page numbers; you do not need a bibliography for the required readings. Do not use direct quotations for more than 10% of any paper or essay; any quotations used must be elaborated and explained in the text. Also, read the section on plagiarism below.
Length: The essay should be no less than four pages long (about 1200 words). Try to keep it to no more than five pages long (about 1500 words). The upper page limit is not absolute, as it is meant only to give you a sense of how much detail I expect. If you use a 12-point, proportionally spaced font like a Times font, one-inch margins, and double spacing, your pages will each have about 300 words. Or you can use your word processing program's word-count feature.
Plagiarism: The plagiarism policy is described on the syllabus. If you use an author's words rather than your own, you must put those words in quotation marks and cite the author and page number -- otherwise you are plagiarizing, will receive a grade of "F", and may be referred to the Office of Student Services for disciplinary action. But don't forget the 10% rule on quotations! If in doubt, put it in your own words.
To help us detect any cases of plagiarism, all students are required to submit this exam in two formats: a hard copy (which we will grade) and an electronic copy, which you need to upload to www.turnitin.com. To create a Turnitin account, follow the instructions on the syllabus (p. 11). Turnitin.com produces "Originality Reports" that identify passages that match other sources and hence which may be plagiarized. You may view these reports, and you may submit drafts in advance, view the report, and then submit a revised draft, up to the due date (but not after then). Don't be alarmed just because the Originality Report shows a high match percentage, since it may include many items that are not plagiarism, such as bibliographic entries, or passages where you repeat the question that I ask. Read the Originality Report itself, think about why Turnitin flagged each item, and if you have any remaining concerns, feel free to ask me about them.
Answer One of the Following Essay Questions
1. The Nature of the Constitution: The framers of the Constitution sought simultaneously to increase the national government's power, to make it difficult for the national government to act, and to limit popular influence while accepting popular sovereignty. Explain how the framers tried to achieve each of these objectives through the Constitution. Cite at least three sources about equally: Kernell, et al. 2014 (with page numbers); the Constitution (with article and section numbers, or amendment numbers); and Madison's Federalist No. 10 (from the textbook and cited as Madison 2014, with page numbers).
2. Why was the Constitution adopted, in place of the Articles of Confederation? Describe and assess the traditional view found in Kernell, et al. 2014 and the critical view found in the film "A Little Rebellion Now and Then" (cited as "A Little Rebellion") and in your notes on my lectures (cited as "Karapin mm/dd/yy"). Give equal attention to both views. Cite Kernell, et al. 2014 with page numbers and at least one of the two sources mentioned for the critical view.
3. Why did both the women's suffrage movement and the civil rights movement mobilize strongly and have major effects on policy? Discuss three different causes that these two movements had in common, and how the causal factors shaped the protests and the outcomes. For the causal factors, use the handout on causes of protest that is posted on Blackboard. Give equal attention to both movements and to all three causal factors. Cite, with page numbers: Keyssar 2000; and Piven and Cloward 1979.