Law making process and elections

choose one (and only one) of the questions below to answer: 1 What competing principles did the founders grapple with at the constitutional convention of 1787? 2 What is the “incumbency advantage” in elections? How does it influence the policymaking process? 3 Explain the relationship between the president and Congress in the lawmaking process. What factors influence this relationship? How has it changed over time? 4 “The idea that presidents are powerful is no more than fiction.” To what extent is this an accurate observation of presidential power in American politics? 5 How has the power of the Supreme Court expanded beyond the limited role established by the Constitution? 6 Explain what we mean when we say that the American constitution established a system of “checks and balances.” How effective are these checks and balances? 7 Describe the steps in a presidential campaign. What factors are most useful for understanding the results of election campaigns? 8 Do third parties influence American politics? If so, how? If not, why not? 9 How do interest groups try to influence policy? Do they ever succeed? 10 Why should we be concerned about low turnout in elections? What factors are most useful for understanding why turnout is sometimes “low” and why it is sometimes “high”?