Writing Free Response

1. Writing Free Response Do’s and Don’ts

2. Overview • 4 Questions in 100 minutes • Designed to evaluate your analytical and organizational skills • Brainstorm • Organize and outline • Re-read • Don’t leave points on the table

3. When you see the question • Take 5 minutes to organize and brainstorm • Underline the Directives • Identify • Explain • Identify and Explain • Describe and explain • Give specific explanantions • Pay attention to the specific task after directive • You will always need to support your answer with examples • If you can’t remember some information, don’t panic, answer the parts you know how to answer

4. Do’s and don’ts Do’s Don’ts • Use correct grammar-they don’t count for grading purposes, but help the grader psychologically • Answer all 4 questions • Support your explanations with specific evidence • Write in your style • Edit your answer and make sure you have answered all parts • Try to sound sophisticated or use big words, keep it simple and concise • Editorialize, they aren’t interested in your opinion and won’t get you points • Data dump • Use historical examples, this a contemporary US political class

5. An example from Chapter 3 The power of the federal government relative to the power of the states has increased since the ratification of the Constitution.a. Describetwo of the following provisions of the Constitution and explain how each has been used over time to expand federal power. The power to tax and spend The “necessary and proper” or “elastic” clause The commerce clause b. Explain how one of the following has increased the power of the federal government relative to the power of state governments. Americans with Disabilities Act Civil Rights Act of 1964 Clean Air Act

6. Rubric (trade with someone else) • Part A: One point is earned for each of the two descriptions and one point for the two explanations • Acceptable descriptions may include • Tax and spend power • Response must indicate who exercises this power. (Congress/national government) • The response must describe both the power to tax and the power to spend • “necessary and proper” clause • Must indicate who exercises this power • Must include the power to pass laws • The commerce clause • Must indicate who exercises this power • Response must refer to the regulation of interstate commerce, foreign commerce/trade, or commerce with Native American tribes.

7. continued • Part B: One point is earned for identifying a provision of one of the laws, and 1 point is earned for explaining how the provision increased federal power over the states. If the response doesn’t identify a provision of one of the laws, it cannot get the second point. • (Each point worth 5)

8. Questions for Unit Test I • 1. In The Federalist paper #10, Madison expressed concern over the possibility that both majority and minority factions would have too much power over government, and he presented ways of minimizing that danger. • a. Identify the part of the national government that was originally most closely tied to citizens and explain how it was tied to citizens. • b. Explain two ways the United States Constitution limited majority rule. • c. Choose two of the following 20th century developments and explain how each moved the United States from a less democratic system to a more democratic system. • Primary elections • The 17th Amendment • Expansion of suffrage

9. 2. • A. Define federalism • B. Select two of the following and explain how each has been used to increase the power of the federal government relative to the states. • Categorical grants • Federal mandate • Selective incorporation • C. Select two of the following and explain how each has been used to increase the power of the states relative to the federal government • Welfare Reform Act of 1996 • Block grants • 10th Amendment