American Political System: Exam 2 Essay

Your answer must be typed, printed out, and handed in at the beginning of class, November 22. This is an open book exam, and while you may discuss the question with your classmates, you must write your own response. Any evidence of a ‘group answer’ will lead to a conference with me, and, if I determine that you did not write your own answer, to a zero for the exam.

Your answer should be 750-1000 words (2-4 pages); please include the word count on your essay.

In the book, Class Matters, people of a variety of different classes are profiled. It is not always clear, however, what is meant by “class”, as well as if or how class is correlated to political ideology or participation.
1. What does class mean? What factors are involved in considerations of class?
2. What relationship is there between [the factors of] class and participation? What explains this relationship?
3. Does class help to explain someone’s ideological attachments? Why or why not? What else is involved in one’s ideology?
4. Does class help to explain public policy in the U.S.? What else might explain social and economic policies?

Don’t forget to refer to BOTH of the course texts, as well as to relevant current events to fill out your response.