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Discussion Board 5.3

  1. Which statistic on wealth inequality in the US (discussed on p. 29) made the biggest impression on you? Explain why?
  2. What could be some of the implications of living in a society that has such huge wealth inequalities? Do you see this dynamic getting played out in everyday life in our society? How so? Example?

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Discussion Board 12.1

  1. According to MLK, how can we tell the difference between just and unjust laws? Understanding this questions is the most important part of this module, and I will ask it again during our second exam.
  2. In your view, is this an important distinction (between just and unjust laws), do you think it makes a difference in the way someone (as an individual, or our society as a whole) lives their lives? Can it affect our politics?
  3. Based on our discussion of Question 1, give an example each, of an unjust and just law, in the US today. Explain what makes it unjust or just (using MLK’s definition of those two types of laws).
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Discussion Board 11.1

  1. What did the Supreme Court decide in the Wal-Mart case? And more importantly, how did it justify its decision? (HINT: the key word here is “commonality” (and how it related to “class-action lawsuit”). Try to understand what this legal terms means, as it is key to the court’s decision).
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Module 8 – First Exam – Short Essays

Module 8 – First Exam

  • This module contains our first exam. Please note that you have the entire week to write this exam.
  • Due date: Sunday, midnight, 3/3/24 (or before, if you’d like)
  • How to submit your exam: write (or save) your exam as a Microsoft Word document (.DOC file). Upload your exam on the bottom of this page, just like you would upload Reading Response Papers (or quiz).
  • NOTE: exams submitted as PDF documents will not be read.
  • GRADING: Your exam will be graded as follows: each question is worth 16.6 points, 6 x 16.6 = 100 points in total.
  • RETURNING YOUR EXAM: Your graded exam will be returned to you via email. You must include your email on your exam paper. Otherwise, I will use the email address you have on record in Blackboard.YOU MUST INCLUDE YOUR NAME and EMAIL ADDRESS ON YOUR EXAM, AS WELL.
  • Note: this is an open book and open notes/videos exam (just like our quiz was). This means, when answering the questions, you can use all of the materials available on our class website. However, you must not use any outside information. Any outside information will be not given credit. Also, everything in your answers must be in your own words. No quotes from any of the readings or videos (you must paraphrase, put everything in your own words).
  • Note 2: Your answers to the questions on this exam, are supposed to be short and directly to the point. This means the typical answer should be in the range of 5-7 sentences minimum. However, there’s no need to write full essays for each question on this exam.

WRITE – EXAM Questions

  1. What was the Southern Strategy, discussed by Michelle Alexander.

2. In your own words, describe what Althusser meant by ideology. Give one example of such ideology.

3. What is the difference between labor and labor power? Give an example of each.

4. What is the difference between C-M-C and M-C-M’? In other words, explain what each mean and how they are different from each other.

5. According to Federalist #10, what is the source of wealth among people?

6. Discuss two characteristics of Federalism, as presented in our reading in Module 7. Give an example for each.

SUBMIT – Your Completed Exam

Your exam must be submitted as a MS Word document (that way, I’ll be able to comment on it, as part of my grading.

Click on the link below to upload your quiz:

https://www.dropbox.com/request/beRSurSyyaPVf9jK8j1I

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Discussion Board 10

  1. In what ways is the court system better suited to protect the individual, than are the elected branches of government (such as Congress and the President; or the Mayor of NYC and the NYC City Assembly)? Give an example to illustrate your argument.

2. Think about how federal judges get to become judges – unlike Presidents, Mayors and members of Congress (and other legislatures), they are not elected, but rather appointed. Many Americans have thus called the federal courts system, and especially the Supreme Court, anti-democratic places in our government. Do you agree that the Supreme Court, for example, is an anti-democratic part of our government? What could be the reason for this way of choosing judges in federal courts? (HINT: think about our discussion of “Federalist #10”, and which social class plays a leading role in our government system.)

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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?
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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”?