The examination will consist of two of the following questions. You should be prepared to answer these questions in some detail. You are expected to understand the arguments found in the lectures and the required reading. But you should also feel free to criticize these arguments and present your own views. In doing so, however, you should defend your views against the most plausible criticisms of them that you know.

1. According to contractarian liberals, what are the fundamental human rights and why do we have them?
2. Why is the protection of civil liberty so important to both contractarian and utilitarian liberals?
3. Why is economic growth so important to both contractarian and utilitarian liberals?
4. What do liberals mean by limited government and why do they want the government to be limited? Why has the role of government expanded in contemporary liberal democracies? Is government truly limited in contemporary liberal democracies?
5. What is the rule of law? How was the separation of powers and checks and balances in the U.S. Constitution meant to preserve the rule of law?
6. What is the difference between a presidential / separation of powers political system and a parliamentary system. How do these two different forms of government effect the way in which voters decide who to vote for.
7. Explain why some liberal democracies have two-party political systems while others have multi-party political systems. Why does the United States have a two party system? What difference does the number of parties make to politics in a liberal democracy?
8. Your local newspaper has written another in a never ending series of editorials bemoaning the public's lack of interest in politics and poor turnout at the polls. Write a letter to the editor explaining why the public's lack of interest in politics is not only what we would expect in a liberal polity but also not necessarily a bad thing from a liberal point of view.
9. Compare and contrast majoritarian and pluralist liberal democracy? What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of each form of liberal democracy in attaining the ends of liberalism? What reforms might it be possible to make the American political system more majoritarian in nature? Do you think we should adopt any or all of these reforms? Explain.
10. Political scientist often divide liberal democratic forms of government into three types: (1) two-party presidential; (2) multi-party parliamentary and (3) two-party parliamentary. Which of these types of liberal democratic government is preferred by majoritarian liberal democrats? Which of these types is preferred by pluralist liberal democrats.
11. What reforms might it be possible to make the American political system more majoritarian in nature? Do you think we should adopt any or all of these reforms? Explain.