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Once you start the exam, you MUST COMPLETE it within
80 minutes.
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Let me stress that it's really
important for you to study for this exam rather than hoping you can just
look the answers up in the book when you see what questions you are asked.
The essay questions are written in a way that if you try and look them up,
you're going to be wasting valuable time that you could be using to answer
those questions.
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ALL
ANSWERS MUST BE IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Lifting sentences and or
paragraphs out of the book/lectures will result in an AUTOMATIC
FAILURE FOR THE TEST AND POSSIBLY THE COURSE FOR GROSS INFRACTIONS.
(No matter how small the infraction, plagiarism is not allowed in this
course). |
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Some students like to write up
answers to all of the essay questions BEFORE
the test and then cut and paste them into the answer box when they find out
what questions the system gives them. This is definitely more work,
but it is a great way to prepare. |
FORMAT
THREE of the following questions will appear on
your test. These questions will be 100 points each and will be graded on
the basis of the coherence of your answer and the relevant examples you provide
from the lectures and readings. To answer any of these questions,
summarize and compare and contrast (when appropriate) the main points of the
historic terms in the question. An "excellent answer" would also
offer your own viewpoint as to the significance of these historic events.
Many students ask me how long these answers
should be. While I will not be counting words, a general guide for you to
follow if you were to write this in a blue book in an on-campus course is AT
LEAST two pages . What's most important, however, is that you
answer the question fully and in as much detail as you can.
- What were the “Three Shocks” and how important were they to America’s post-war role in the world?
Did they weaken or strengthen the case for international containment. Explain why or why not.
- Explain the differences between “international containment” and “domestic containment.”
Was the atomic bomb a factor in either? What role were families expected to fulfill?
- What kind of impact did the atomic bomb have on American society, culture, and foreign
policy in the decades after the 1945 bombings of Japan?
(Note: this question is NOT about Hiroshima and Nagasaki; focus on
post-war American society.)
- Define the Cold War and explain its
causes. What were the National Security interests that the U.S. sought
to protect, and what kind of strategy did policymakers employ to protect
them? How did Americans at home react? Did they have a role to
play in the Cold War contest?
- Why is World War II considered to be the “good war” but Vietnam is considered the “bad war?”
What were the differences between them (i.e., causes, objectives, and support on the home front)?
- How was 1968 a pivotal year for American politics and society?
(Bring in as much detail as you can to answer this question.)
- Describe the most important social movements that shaped the
1970s.
Did all Americans accept the changes being made (in other words, was there a
backlash)? Explain why or why not?
- Compare and contrast the Beatniks of the 1950s and the
Counter-Culture of the 1960s.
What did they believe in? What did they oppose?
- “If there’s one thing that civil rights protestors learned during the sit-ins and freedom rides, it was that no matter how badly protestors were beaten, the Kennedy and Johnson administrations simply were uninterested in supporting their cause.”
DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THIS STATEMENT? IN YOUR ANSWER, GIVE A
GENERAL ASSESSMENT OF THE SUCCESSES AND FAILURES OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS
MOVEMENT.
- Were the L.A. Riots of 1992 an isolated incident, or should we look at the riots as a case study of something larger going on in American society regarding demographic changes
(i.e., new, new immigration) and race relations?
- What was the “conservative revolution” led by Ronald Reagan all about?
Did Clinton’s tenure in office signal the end of this revolution?
This test is
worth 300 points.
Make-up Procedures
"Make-ups" will only be allowed when a
Doctor's note (with an official contact phone number) is presented to the
Instructor. Make-up exams must be taken IN PERSON on
campus. There are no exceptions to this rule.
GOOD LUCK!