Your final grade for this course will be based upon a Michaelmas term essay (worth 12.5%), a
Hilary term essay (worth 12.5%) and an end-of-year exam (worth 75%).
Hillary term essay deadline and submission requirements
The deadline for the Hillary term essay is 5pm on Monday the 10 th of March . When submitting your essay, please do both of the following:
1. Submit a hard copy to Jane Suiter on or before Monday the 10 th . Jane will communicate her location on the 10 th to you in advance by email.
2. Upload your essay to www.turnitin.com
on or before Monday the 10 th .
Essays must be no more than 2,000 words in length.
Turnitin.com details
In order to submit your essay via www.turnitin.com
you need the following details:
Class name: Government and Politics of the USA PO3650
Class ID:
Password:
Assignment title:
2086138
Washington
Hillary term essay 2008
Essay titles
For your Hillary term essay, please choose one of the following three titles .
1. “In practice, Congress functions not as a unified institution, but as a collection of semiautonomous committees that seldom act in unison." Discuss this view, and explain your response.
2. What are the consequences of pluralism and federalism for the policy-making process in the US? Evaluate these consequences with reference to at least two policy areas.
3. Discuss the role played by money in US Presidential elections. Elaborate your response in the context of attempts at campaign finance reform since the 1970s and the 2008
Presidential election.
Essay format
Write your essays in either Times New Roman size 12 or Arial size 10 font. Use 1.5 line spacing. Footnote all references and include a complete bibliography listing referenced material.
Return of essays
Your essays will be returned to you in the first tutorial of Trinity term.
Reminder regarding late work
All late work, unless excused in advance by myself, or justified by medical certificate or tutor’s note, will be penalised at a rate of 5 marks per working day. Under no circumstances will work be accepted after the set work has been marked and handed back to other students, or after the end of Trinity lecture term.

Reminder regarding plagiarism
Please note that plagiarism will lead to automatic failure and will be reported to the appropriate authorities with the likelihood of severe penalty. To be sure that you are not inadvertently plagiarising, see the Department’s undergraduate handbook at: http://www.tcd.ie/Political_Science/about/UndHandbook.html