This written assignment includes essay questions which probe your understanding of the course materials, theories and concepts covered in this course. Students are asked to show competence in critical thinking and writing skills.

• Essay must be at least two (2) pages in length. This includes your own words and excludes citations and works cited.
• You are expected to read the prompt carefully and address its questions in a concise way.
• Paper must include an introduction, body/discussion/review of literature (at least two peer-reviewed articles), conclusion, and a bibliography or works cited page.
• Use MLA format. For information on formatting, you may consult the College library online or the Writing Center.
• Review and cite two peer-reviewed articles that are relevant to the topic you have selected. This includes academic articles, books and other published works. Wikipedia, answers.com, etc. are not acceptable sources. An essay without reviewed articles won’t be graded.
• Upload your completed work in MS Word FORMAT (please check the content of your file prior to uploading).
• Include a cover page that has your name, course information and selected topic number and its prompt.
• Carefully review your work prior to submission, essay will be checked for plagiarism using Turnitin.com.

Essay topics: (select one)

1. Winston Churchill is famously said to have quipped that “Democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.” What do you think he meant by this? Do you agree? Why or why not?
2. Describe the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). Why were some opposed to the ERA? Compare and contrast the ERA and the Nineteenth Amendment. How has the ERA impacted civil rights in the United States?
3. One of the most pressing challenges any democratic government faces is in addressing the appropriate balance between national security and a free press. How has the government traditionally attempted to find this balance? Has it been successful? Why or why not?
4. Compare and contrast levels of political participation by race and gender in the United States. Who participates the most? Who participates the least? Are such differences important? Why or why not? Support your essay with data from relevant literature.
5. Compare the U.S. electoral system to European proportional representation systems and address how candidates for U.S. office behave in response to our system. In your opinion which system is more democratic (that is, responsive to the desires and opinions of the people)? Explain your rationale?
6. Describe the major ways in which the presidency has changed since the beginning of the twentieth century. Be sure to include a description of the changes and the reasons why these changes occurred. Include a conclusion to summarize your key points.
7. Do you agree or disagree with the Supreme Court’s decision in the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission