American Government/Politics Take-Home Exam #2: Chapter 10,13,&14
The goal of this take home exam is to convince me that you both (1) read ALL of the material in
the text and (2) that you understand the concepts. If I am unconvinced you read/understand the
material (i.e., if you are vague or you try to fake your way through this exam), you will not
receive full credit for your answers. A good rule of thumb on assignments of this type is “overkill
is better than underkill” (write small & write a lot)—CONVINCE ME THAT YOU DO
UNDERSTAND THE TERMS/CONCEPTS. This exam may require a few afternoons/days of
effort—but if you do the work properly & answer the questions fully, you should be able to earn
an “A”. If you start on it the day before it is due, or attempt to Google the answers without
reading the text, you will NOT likely earn an “A” or “B”.
This is an EXAM, NOT A GROUP PROJECT. If you cheat on this exam, you will be given a “0”
on the exam, an “F” in the course and potentially face disciplinary action from the Dean of
Students. The BC Student Handbook clearly addresses what constitutes academic dishonesty
and potential consequences (if in doubt as to what constitutes cheating, refer to the BC Student
Handbook). PLEASE DO NOT PLACE YOUR ANSWERS ON SEPARATE SHEETS OF
PAPER—type your answers beneath each question and save the completed exam (questions
as well as answers) as a Word doc which you will submit via D2L for grading.
Please initial each of the following and print & sign your name at the bottom. No take-home
exam will be accepted without a completed, signed checklist attached to the front.
C.F I have done my own work and not collaborated with any other student(s) on this EXAM.
C.F I have checked my answers for mistakes in grammar, spelling, punctuation.
C.F I have reviewed the content/thoroughness of my answers.
C.F I have NOT altered the wording or formatting of the exam (questions) in any way.
C.F I have read the questions in their entirety and answered each part.
C.F I have NOT attempted to sidestep reading the chapters by trying to find the answers online.
C.F I have completed the minimum number of questions as specified.
C.F I have submitted the exam by the due date as specified in class.
C.F I understand that late exams will be assessed a grade penalty of 10 points per calendar day
(up to a maximum of 30 points).
Name (first and last): Chardae Fortilus
Date: 10/9/2020
Chapter 10: Interest Groups (complete ANY/ONLY 6 of the following 10 questions from
this chapter)
1. Define interest groups
and explain their origins in American society.
Interest groups are groups that engage in the democratic process in order to achieve
policy agendas that are shared by participants. Unlike political parties, which have to
tackle all issues on the public agenda, they typically focus their attention on one
particular issue or region. There are three key hypotheses regarding the politics of
interest groups. The theory of pluralism argues that the mechanism of policy making is
very open to the involvement of all interest groups, typically controlled by no single
party. Pluralists prefer to assume that the public interest normally prevails as a result.
Elitism, on the other hand, contends that an elite of the upper class retains control and
makes policy. Hyperpluralism criticizes pluralism from a different viewpoint, arguing that
