1) a) Define federalism b) Explain federalism in terms of federal, state, and local power. Your answer should explain when and give examples of when power is greater at each of the three levels of government. (So, when is federal power greater than state power, etc.. The answer should also reference the 10th Amendment and the Supremacy Clause) c) Explain the significance of money in federalism (your answer should include a specific reference to grants that demonstrates a basic understanding of what grants are) d) Give a specific example of federalism affecting someone (either positively or negatively) on a personal level. (25 pts)
2) a) What is the calculation that voters make when deciding if they should vote? b) Using Duverger’s Law, explain the likelihood that the United States will have a viable third party. The answer should demonstrate a clear understanding of the rationality principle, reference the cost/benefit analysis of voter, and the cost/benefit analysis of potential political candidates. (20 pts)
3) a) Explain three major policy differences between Greg Abbott and Beto O’Rourke b) Summarize the poll data for the Texas gubernatorial race c) summarize the partisan makeup of the Texas legislature (so which political party represents the majority/minority, and what are the percentages) d) Explain what each part of the calculation of voting looks like for a Democratic voter in Texas and why. The answer should include specific costs and benefits for a voter of the Democratic Party in Texas (so what policies does the Democratic voter likely prefer and what costs would the voter pay). The answer should include specific citations, part d should correctly use the term conformity costs. (25 pts)
4. Write an open-ended question that builds on what you’ve read for a classmate to answer. Open-ended questions should not be normative (i.e., they should require more than a yes/no answer). Questions that are not open-ended will earn a maximum of half-credit. (10 pts)
