Posted on by Arto Artinian

First Exam has been posted!

Hello class,

I have posted our first exam. The format is exactly like the quiz, except now there are more questions, and the answers have to be longer and more detailed. Make sure you watch the video that introduces the exam in Module 10.

NOTE: I will not read any exams sent to me as PDF document. You must submit your exam in a .DOC or .DOCX format.

NOTE 2: If you don’t write your email on your exam, I will not be able to send it to you after I grade it.

Posted on by Arto Artinian

Regarding the quiz

Hi class,

I finished reading though the submitted quizzes. Those of you who wrote you email on your quiz paper should have gotten an email from me, with a link to your graded quiz.

If you did not get an email with your graded quiz, this means you forgot to write your email on your quiz. You can find out your grade by going to the class’ Blackboard page and viewing your Grade Center.

If you submitted a quiz but see no grade entered in your Blackboard class page Grade Center, that means you submitted your quiz as a PDF document and I didn’t grade it (as mentioned in my instructions). In this case, if you want your quiz graded, you should re-submit it as a .DOC or .DOCX file, and send me an email that you’ve resubmitted your quiz.

Posted on by Arto Artinian

Discussion Board 9.2

  1. P. Williams writes in her essay, that the war on terror is a new type of a war. What’s new about it, how is it different from traditional wars?
  2. In what ways does the “Roving Wiretaps” of the Patriot Act seem to violate the Bill of Rights? Which amendment(s) does it seem to violate and why?
  3. What about “Sneek and Peek” Warrants?
Posted on by Arto Artinian

Discussion Board 9.1

  1. Describe how you understand the “Establishment Clause” and the related “Lemon Test”.
  2. Is burning the US flag protected by the First Amendment? Explain by referring to the relevant court case discussed in the reading.
  3. What does it mean when someone says “I’m taking the Fifth”?
Posted on by Arto Artinian

Discussion Board 7.1

  1. Describe the primary differences in the role of citizens in government, among the federal, confederation, and unitary systems.
  2. Briefly explain how you understand the system of division of power.
  3. How does the federal government shape the actions of state and local governments? Write your answer based on doing a bit of research on how the federal government has influenced the actions of NY state and local governments, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Posted on by Arto Artinian

Discussion Board 6.2

  1. What concept that we have already discussed does “faction” remind you of?
  2. According to Federalist #10 (written by James Madison), what is the source of wealth (private property)? What factor explains why some people get to possess wealth by owning private property, and others don’t (thus remaining poor)? This is a key question, because it shows how the authors of the Constitution thought about the difference between different classes of Americans! HINT: focus on the passage that begins: “The diversity in the faculties (WHAT DOES FACULTIES mean or refer to?) of men, from which the rights of property originate, is not les….”
  3. Do you agree with this explanation of wealth and poverty?
  4. What is the core mission (“first object”) of the US government? Does this surprise you, does it sound different from what our society today seems to suggest the core mission of the government is? Explain.
  5. Given the discussion in questions 1-4, are you surprised that Federalist #10 is not in favor of democracy, and supports a Republican (representative) form of government? Why would d the author dislike a (pure) democratic form of government? Hint: think about how this question connects with the social classes…