Columbia College
Oakdale Campus
Political Science 10: Constitutional Government
Midterm Examination
Part 1: Short Response (40-points)
In one paragraph, briefly discuss how each of the following 5 terms applies to government in the
United States or to the American political tradition. As appropriate, cite one or more specific
examples to aid in your definition. Simoncini will select the 5 terms.
English Bill of Rights (1689)
Proxy British officials and colonial legislatures
Discuss two compromises of the Constitutional Convention
Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
Shays’ Rebellion
The Electoral College
The process of amending the Constitution
The Supremacy Clause
Dual Federalism
McColloch v. Maryland (1819)
Linkage Institutions
Horizontal Federalism
Unfunded Federal Mandate
Devolution
Categorical Grants
Political socialization
Salience
Soccer Mom Vote
Political Efficacy
The Fourth Estate
Yellow Journalism
Infotainment
Economic (fiscal) conservatism vs. economic (fiscal) liberalism
Informal Rules of Journalism
The Outside Game vs. the Inside Game
Actual representation vs. virtual representation
Part 2: Essay (60-points) Respond to the following prompt by writing an essay that thoroughly
and fully develops the topic, including using specific examples to support your points.
How did the early history of England’s North American colonies (including how the people in the
colonies maintained or adapted English political traditions) and the early history of the United
States (prior to 1787) factor into the creation of the United States Constitution with its ideas of
popular sovereignty, limited government, its system of representative government based on a
separation of powers and checks and balances, and its system of federalism? In your
response, cite specific historic examples that you believe the Founders factored in as they
created the Constitution. Also discuss how the often vague nature of the Constitution has
allowed it to be interpreted different ways by different people over the years and provide at least
one example of how that vague nature was used to create specific institutions within the
government of the United States.