Name ______
Date/Class ______
Government Practice Short Answer Essay
Directions: 30 Point Assessment. Answer all questions in complete sentences. Responses that are not in complete sentences will have a reduction on the final essay grade.
Civil Rights and Liberties:
Document 1
“Along with other Warren Court decisions, Miranda has increased public awareness of
constitutional rights. The Miranda warnings may be the most famous words ever written by the United States Supreme Court. With the widespread dissemination [distribution] of Miranda warnings in innumerable [numerous] television shows as well as in the movies and contemporary fiction, the reading of the Miranda rights has become a familiar sight and sound to most Americans; Miranda has become a household word. As Samuel Walker writes, “[e]very junior high school student knows that suspects are entitled to their ‘Miranda rights.’ They often have the details wrong, but the principle that there are limits on police officer behavior, and penalties for breaking those rules, is firmly established.” As we have seen, a national poll in 1984 revealed that 93% of those surveyed knew that they had a right to an attorney if arrested, and a national poll in 1991 found that 80% of those surveyed knew that they had a right to remain silent if arrested. Perhaps it should not be surprising that, as many of my research subjects told me, some suspects assert their rights prior to the Miranda admonition [warning] or in situations where police warnings are not legally required. Indeed, in the last thirty years, the Miranda rights have been so entrenched [well-established] in American popular folklore as to become an indelible part of our collective heritage and consciousness. . . .”
Source: Richard A. Leo, “The Impact of ‘Miranda’ Revisited, ”The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Spring 1996 (adapted)
According to Richard A. Leo, what is one effect of the Miranda decision on American society? (1 Point)
______
Document 2
. . .
(1)Identify the Constitutional right that is the subject of the above photos. (2)What role was played by states in gaining the right? (3)By individuals? (3 points)
(1)______
(2)______
(3)______
Document 3
Describe the obstacle faced by the people in this cartoon. (1 Point)
______
What are they trying to do? (1 Point)
______
Document 4
This section of the Constitution was originally designed to protect whose right to vote? (1 Point)
______
Essay Extension: Choose two rights that are protected by the Constitution. Describe where in the Constitution they are given, explain how they are protected, how they are limited, and give an example. (8 Points: 4 points per constitutional right with explanation written in a large paragraph)
______
Government
Primary Documents Rubric
Student name: ______Teacher: ______
Class: ______School: ______
Civil Rights and Liberties Rubric
All answers must be in complete sentences. The use of conventions cannot deter from the readability of the content. Responses that are not in complete sentences or are unreadable may result in a maximum of a 2-point reduction.
Teacher Tips for Grading
-allow accurate synonyms
-use no half points
-judge ultimately: Do they know the content?
Document 1: Miranda rights
_____/ (1) media has ensured that most Americans know their rights to
“remain silent, have an attorney, etc”.
Document 2: Women’s suffrage photos
_____/ (1) Right to vote
_____/ (1) states gave rights individually before it was national
_____/ (1) individuals marched, wrote letters, or synonymous
Document 3: Jericho USA
_____/ (1) voting discrimination
_____/ (1) knock down the wall, destroy the obstacle, or synonymous
Document 4: 15th Amendment
_____/ (1) freed slaves
Essay Extension: (Strand 3 Concept 4 PO1)
_____/ (8) Choose any TWO of these: sample answers listed below – these are only a few of the many possible,
please use your own judgment
_____ (4) Freedom of religion (or speech, press, etc)
______(1) Location: 1st amendment
______(1) Protection: Congress can’t establish religion or prevent free exercise hereof.
______(1) Limitation: can’t violate other rights (Satanism, etc.)
______(1) Example: Could be a supreme court case (Engle v. Vitale) or other example
_____ (4) Property rights
______(1) Location: 4th amendment +
______(1) Protection: need warrant
______(1) Limitation: courts can limit
______(1)Example: Could be a supreme court case or other example
_____ (4)Rights of accused
______(1) Location: 5th, 6th, 7th , 8th amendments
______(1) Protection: no double jeopardy
______(1) Limitation: habeas corpus
______(1) Example: Could be a supreme court case or other example
Content Subtotal/ ______/15
Incomplete sentences/ ______(-1)
Poor Conventions/ ______(-1)
Section Total: ______/ 15
U.S. Government Practice Documents:
Branches of Government:
Document 1
What principle of government is reflected in this quote? (1 point)
______
How would Randolph’s proposed government be different from the existing one at the time? (1 point)
______
______
Document 2
Describe two things this diagram illustrates about the structure of our government (2 points) ______
Document 3
The answer to the question in the above excerpt is #3. Based on that answer and Eisenhower’s quote, explain the power or lack of power of the Executive Branch (1 Point).
______
Explain the power or lack of power of the Judicial Branch. (1 point)
______
Document 4
http://www.archives.gov/legislative/research/special-collections/berryman/
http://www.claybennett.com/pages2/stars.html
The political cartoon on the left was drawn after the 1912 election which gave Democrats a majority in both houses of Congress. The one on the right is from 2006. Use these documents to describe one idea about the relationship between Congress and political parties. (1 point)
______
______
Essay Extension: Argue which branch of government exerts the most power in the American system today and give three specific functions of that branch to substantiate your claim.
(8 Points; 2 points for defense of argument and 2 points for each of the 3 functions in a large paragraph)
______
Government
Primary Documents Rubric
Student name: ______Teacher name: ______
Class: ______School: ______
Branches of Government Rubric
All answers must be in complete sentences. The use of conventions cannot deter from the readability of the content. Responses that are not in complete sentences or are unreadable may result in a maximum of a
2-point reduction.
Teacher Tips for Grading
-allow accurate synonyms
-use no half points
-judge ultimately: Do they know the content?
Document 1: Randolph quote
_____/ (1) separation of powers
_____/ (1) three branches instead of one, addition of judicial & executive, or similar
Document 2: chart
_____/ (2) Two of the following or synonymous: three branches; legislative made up of Congress; Congress made of Senate & House; Executive includes President & VP; Judicial includes Supreme Court; more members of legislative; etc.
Document 3: Eisenhower quote
_____/ (1) Executive orders; enforcing Supreme Court Decisions
_____/ (1) Shaping public policy through decision; unable to enforce on own
Document 4: Congress cartoons
_____/ (1) A party majority can control Congress; party polarization can divide Congress,
or synonymous.
Essay Extension: (Strand 3 Concept 2 PO 5,6,7)
_____/ (8)
_____ (2)Defense of clear choice of executive, legislative, or judicial branch
Example: Executive Branch
_____ (2)Function #1 Example: chief executive oversees cabinet & bureaucracy
_____ (2)Function #2 Example: controls into the future with judicial appointments
_____ (2)Function #3 Example: Commander in chief makes military decisions and policy
Content Subtotal/ ______/15
Incomplete sentences/ ______(-1)
Poor Conventions/ ______(-1)
Section Total: ______/ 15