United States Government
Examination 3 (Take-home essay component)

Due date: Monday, March 29, due in my office (Qubein 365) by 4:00pm. An identical, second copy of the paper must be e-mailed to msetzler@highpoint.edu by 4:00pm the same day. This submission date is later than what is noted in your syllabus because I wanted to give you an extra weekend to complete the paper.  

The syllabus (which was modified on the first day of class to reflect higher than expected enrollment) notes that students will submit 1-3 essays in the class. After each of our first two in-class test, you have had the option to write a paper on a topic that covers that unit's materials. If you have not yet submitted a paper, you must write on the topic below. If you have written one of the previous papers, this essay is optional. Per the revised syllabus, this paper will count two-thirds of your unit paper if it is stronger than your test performance; if you do better on the test, the paper will count for one-third of the unit grade.

If you write this paper, please respond to the prompt listed below with an essay that is no shorter 1,500 words (approximately 6 complete pages), not including the bibliography and/or footnotes. You are welcome to submit an essay that is longer if you would like. The paper should be double-spaced, have numbered pages, use standard page margins and fonts, include complete and properly-formatted citation, and have a title page that lists the total word count of your paper. Late penalties will apply as listed in your syllabus.

As this is an examination, your essay's analysis must focus closely on the materials covered in this course unit, and should not incorporate outside readings or any independent research. Before beginning to write, you need to review the detailed instructions I have placed on the course website addressing citation requirements and the paper grading criteria that I will use to evaluate your essay. Your paper's citations and bibliography must follow one of the following three style guides: University of Chicago, the APA, or the APSA. For your convenience, my website provides a handout with many formatting examples using the APSA style. 

Without exception, instances of plagiarism (cases where a student attempts to gain academic credit by submitting an essay in which a significant portion of the writing has been copied or paraphrased from any other author, the internet, or another student) will be reported and punished according to university policy. 

Paper Topic:

The Congress was designed by the Founders to be the most powerful branch of government, but our national legislators frequently leave it up to presidents, the bureaucracy, an/or the federal courts to make difficult policy decisions. Why does the Congress give away so much of its power, and what limits (including self-imposed ones) are there to how much action the other branches can take when the Congress chooses to ignore important political issues?

You do not have to consider the readings on economic, social, and foreign policy in responding to this question, but you may find it useful to draw examples from these materials in your answer.