1. Discuss the effects of immigration policy and the role of the state and federal governments on the issue of illegal immigration.2. What do you think is the most important responsibility of state and local government in the United States? Why?3. List and describe the four methods of constitutional change. Which method has generally been most successful in enacting change? Which method has been the least successful in enacting change? Why?4. How do state constitutions differ from the U.S. Constitution? Include a discussion of differences in design, principles, and mechanisms for change between state constitutions and the U.S. Constitution. Which more closely reflects the principles of direct democracy? How?5. What are the specific powers granted to the national government and what has been reserved for the states? What powers are denied to state governments and why? What is the constitutional basis for these powers?6. Analyze the merits, at both the state and national levels, of the various types of government from dual federalism through “bottom-up” federalism, including the effect each had on the relationship between the nation and the states.7. Trace the evolution of suffrage rights in the United States, from colonial times to the present.8. Describe the differences between protests, political disobedience, and violence; and outline how state and local governments respond to these types of political participation.9. Assess the effectiveness of political parties in the contemporary political arena.10. Select someone who recently won a statewide election in your state. Pretend you are a political pundit, and it is your job to analyze why the candidate won. Provide in your discussion the effects of party affiliation, the effectiveness of the media campaign, campaign financing, and the role of the party organizations in the state that all contributed to an electoral victory. How might these considerations differ in particular states or regions of the country? How might they be similar?
