• Chapter 8 – chapter 12 is from the textbook Bessette, Joseph M. and John J. Pitney, Jr. 2013. American Government and Politics. Boston, MA: Wadsworth. Must have this textbook to work on question 2.
  • Only use, refer to, or quote texts assigned in this course.
  • If you directly quote the course textbook, you only need to cite the page number, in parentheses.  If you are citing the Constitution of the United States, cite the Article and section, for example Article IV, Section 4, like this (Art. IV, sec. 4). If you cite the Federalist Papers, only put the number of the essay in parentheses, like this (#51). You do not need a bibliography.

1. American government divides power between state and federal governments, and within the national government, among legislative, executive and judicial departments.  Since the American founding, how has the balance of power shifted among these parts? 600 words
2. Using the evidence presented in Chapters 8-12 in your course textbook, explain whether American government today is sufficiently responsive or not to the electorate. 600 words
3. Explain what essay in the Federalist Papers assigned in this course best illuminates the general theory of the Constitution of the United States. Be sure to support your answer.  600 words