American Politics Comprehensive Exam
August 2014
General American Politics Answer two of the following.
1. For many observers of American politics it has become obvious that, “American political
life is more polarized than it has ever been before.” Is this true? How do we know
whether it is true or not? In composing your answer, be sure you consider the wide
variety of evidence and evaluate the strengths and limitations of the available measures.
To the extent that polarization exists, where do we find evidence for polarization; or put
another way, who is polarized? How do we define polarization and how do we measure
it?
2. Write an essay in which you discuss the status of public bureaucracies; are they
controlled by elected officials or are they more likely to be influenced by other forces?
(What other forces could be relevant?) What are the consequences, in terms of
accountability and performance, of public bureaucracies controlled by elected officials
versus other forces?
3. What are the advantages, if any, of doing research on the American states? What has the
study of the states taught us about American government and the U.S. political system?
4. It is generally assumed that public policy is, in the U.S., the product of incremental
development. Nevertheless, as recent events (e. g. the ACA and Dodd-Frank) have
demonstrated, significant public policy changes can occur rapidly. Write an essay in
which you discuss why and how policy changes occur.
5. At least since the Progressive era, most scholars have assumed that for democracy to
work the citizens need to be “politically sophisticated” and knowledgeable. Assuming
that this is a precondition for a democratic society, do Americans live up to the standard?
What are the findings in the literature? To what extent does the answer to the question
depend on how scholars define “political sophistication?” Have American become more
or less sophisticated? Finally, does it matter?
6. What are the sources presidential powers in the modern era? Does the Constitution
provide all the powers a president needs in the modern era? If not, from where does the
modern president draw power?
Methods Answer one of the following.
1. Much of the social science research uses data collected by humans and from humans.
Critics of the social sciences more broadly suggest that the in deterministic nature of
human attitudes and behavior makes such data collection problematic—so much so that
the theories we claim to have support for are really only supported by statistical artifact.
Write an essay that examines the sources of problems in collecting data for the social
sciences and consider whether contemporary political research is really any more
rigorous than it was in previous generations.
2. Select an issue in American politics that is, in your judgment, understudied or studded
with contradictory findings. Describe the current state of knowledge, and explain why
you believe that the issue/question deserves examination. Prepare a research design to
address the question, providing a solid grounding both theoretical and methodological.
Your essay must demonstrate an understanding of the importance of good research
design, variable specification (operationalization), and the use of the appropriate
analytical tools.