American Government

PSC 201 -- Fall 2013 Due Tuesday 10/22/13Midterm Exam

Directions: Answer the following questions: Please be sure your answers are as detailed, clear, and concise as possible for full credit. While there is not a specific page length requirement, brief answers that are missing details will be penalized. On the other hand the entire exam should be limited to no more than 5 pages.

American's views on public policy are generally characterized by conflict. Explain the public's conflict in one of the following areas: The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, healthcare, immigration, gay rights, or climate change. Is there potential for compromise on any of these issues? Why or why not? Please provide specific information on these issues to support your argument.

Five years after the beginning of the war in Iraq; numerous public assessments and conflicts of the setup in Iraq have turned more positive. In any case there has been no turnaround in the public's conflict and conclusion about the definitive choice to initiate military movement in Iraq. While evaluations of how things are going in Iraq have enhanced over the previous year and more Americans now say the United States may as well keep troops there, the extent truism the starting choice to head off to war was wrong has expanded since the spring of 2007. In Pew's most recent national overview, around 1,508 mature people, a 54 percent majority said the U.S. made the wrong choice in utilizing military constrain as a part of Iraq, while 38 percent said it was the right choice. Last March, 49 percent said the choice to go to war was wrong, while 43 percent said it was correct (Lewandowsky, Stritzke, Freund, Oberauer, & Krueger, 2013). Throughout the third and fourth years of the clash public notion on this doubt was separated, while in the war's first two years clear larger parts supported the choice to utilize power within Iraq.

Source: http://www.pewresearch.org/2008/03/19/public-attitudes-toward-the-war-in-iraq-20032008/

What is party identification? How do citizens develop it and what impact does it have on their political behavior? In answering these questions, be sure to draw from examples in your textbook.

Party identification is an imperative disposition that impacts the vote. Most voters relate to one of the two major political gatherings, and these essential factional loyalties impact the vote. Party identification typically is measured by asking people if they view themselves as to be a Democrat, Republican, or free. Those demonstrating Democratic or Republican are then asked if they are an in number or a frail Democrat or Republican, while those asserting to be a free are asked if they feel closer to one of the two political gatherings. This yields a sevenfold order: solid Democrats, feeble Democrats, independents closer to the Democrats, independents not closer to either party, independents closer to the Republicans, frail Republicans, and solid Republicans (Dancey, & Goren, 2010). This seven-focus party identification scale is in the dataset. The immediate impact of party identification on the vote is minor in presidential decisions. At the same time the roundabout impact ...