POL 313 Take Home Exam.

You are to answer one of the following questions in 7-8 typewritten pages. The questions are designed to force you to integrate and apply material discussed during the course of the semester to a country, a president, or a situation. Where appropriate, you should reference/cite materials used in the class (articles, webpages, etc.). You should also cite any other references used in the development of your essay. I would prefer that you hand them in by Friday of the last week of class (December 7^th) but you may hand them in as late as Tuesday, December 11^th.

1. One of the approaches to the study of the presidency is the comparative approach. Earlier in the semester you chose a country. Now it is time to compare that country’s executive to ours. Use three of the following to compare the institutions and/or the “character” of the person who occupies their respective offices: 1) constitutional/ structural; 2) selectoral; 3) current institutional relations; 4) character; or 5) crises.

2. We may also explore comparisons between American chief executives at various historical points in time. Make comparisons between the president that you chose and our current President (George Bush). Discuss similarities or differences in three of the following areas: 1) character; 2) crisis dealt with; 3) differences in selectoral method and its relationship to the institutional connection; 4) popular connection via the media; or 5) how they affected the “pendulum of power”

3. For those of you who are following American presidential politics, here is an interesting question:

Analyze current President George Bush’s presidency (2001-present) from the “presidential power paradigm” perspective.