Answer the following questions in essay form. Number your responses. Remember, spelling and grammar count. Your response to each essay question should be at least 1,500 words in length and include evidence that you have completed the assigned readings. Do not copy directly from the text. Rather, answer in your own words to illustrate that you fully understand the material. Use examples from the readings and to support your statements and illustrate the concepts. When a question asks that you “discuss”, “explain” or “describe”, include more than a simple list in your answer. Define the terms. State how they relate to the overall concept of the unit. Nothing is “obvious”! Use illustrations to clarify your responses. 1. There have been a number of national policies that devolve responsibility from the federal to state governments and that provide states and localities additional governmental authority (homeland security provisions for first responders and welfare reform, to name two examples). Some people question state and local government’s ability to administer programs effectively without federal supervision. Others worry that state and local officials focus on the needs of voters (who tend to be from the middle and upper classes) at the expense of minorities and the poor (who tend not to vote). Still others worry about the “track record” of the states in the area of civil rights. What is your view on this subject? Has the national government gotten too powerful? Should states and localities be given more power? Can states and localities be trusted? Why or why not? Review the advantages and disadvantages of federal versus state policy control in general. Provide specific examples in at least two policy areas to illustrate your conclusion. 2. Some scholars (see Samuel Beer’s article) argue that the emergence of a global economy and politically powerful, multi-national corporations, has fundamentally changed the nature of American society. They no longer view government, as the Framers did, as the primary threat to individual liberty. Instead, they view large, multi-national corporations as the primary threat to individual liberty. They argue that the only way to control these large corporations is through government regulation and oversight. In their view, the Framer’s view of federalism as the organizational solution to the prevention of tyranny is outmoded. They argue that big government is not a threat to individual liberty in a global marketplace controlled by corporate giants. Instead, big government is the only entity powerful enough to protect individual liberty from becoming subordinate to the interests of large, multi-national corporations. See also Robertson on the history of federalism, capitalism and economic growth. What is your view on this subject? Is a big national government inevitable, given the globalization of our economy? Is big government a threat to individual liberty or the protector of individual liberty within the context of our form of capitalism? Is federalism (and its protection of state sovereignty) outmoded? Include examples to illustrate your argument and explain how you reached your conclusions.
