Pre- and Post-Assessment

How do you know if you've actually learned something in your classes? The amount/level of learning is not always aligned with your final grade. Plus, how can one letter be representative of what you've learned? An alternative way to measure what you've learned is by taking a pre-evaluation before you enter a class and a post-assessment after you are done with the class. What do you know coming into class versus what do you know after you leave?

Copy and paste the following questions into a Word document. You will answer the same 10 questions at the end of the class to see how much you've learned throughout the semester.

The goal is to do much better at the end of class than at the beginning
I will remind you to re-take this assessment at the end of the course so you can see what you’ve learned!
I recommend “grading” both your first try and your final try (at the end of the semester) at the same time.
I’ve included the course Course Objectives so you can see which question(s) align with which objective(s). The Course Objectives are important; they are what you should learn by the end of the class.

This assessment is not submitted/graded. It is for your own benefit :)

Questions

What was one of the points of contention (issues) between Federalists and Anti-Federalists? How was this issue resolved in the U.S. Constitution?
What was the Articles of Confederation?
What is the difference between “civil rights” and “civil liberties?” Use examples.
Explain checks and balances.
Explain the concept of federalism. What is the core tension at the heart of the federal structure of government?
Name one similarity and one difference between the national government and the California government (other than the national government makes national laws and the California government makes laws for CA).
Explain how partisanship in Congress impacts lawmaking.
Explain the Electoral College.
How do you think American voters decide which candidate to vote for on Election Day?
How would you define “national security?” How would you define “foreign policy?” How are the two related and how are the two different?

Course Objectives

In parentheses are the numbers of the question(s) that touch on/relate to the objective.

Identify the various levels and types of government and briefly describe the theory undergirding each. (4, 3, 8)
Trace, analyze and critically evaluate American political thought from its origins to the present. (1, 2, 8)
Name the most significant events in the development of constitutions of the United States and the State of California. (1, 2)
Identify the most important intergovernmental relations within the Federal and California State systems of government and explain why these relations are accorded this importance. (5)
Define the concept of civil liberties and identify which derive from the Federal system and which from that of the State of California. (3)
Trace the struggle for equal rights as it has occurred at both the Federal and California State levels; relevant legislation and judicial decisions should be cited and the importance of these critically assessed. (3)
Articulate and explain the rights and obligations of citizenship. (3, 9)
Identify and critically evaluate the role of political parties and interest groups in the process of government at both the California State and Federal levels. (3, 8, 9)
Identify both the ways in which public opinion affects the governmental process and explain how it may develop to the point that it is an influential factor in these processes. (3, 9)
Exhibit knowledge of the interrelationship between political campaigns, voting behavior and elections. (3, 8, 9)
State how the legislative, judicial and executive branches of both the government of the State of California and the Federal system are organized, including the powers that reside in each. (4, 5, 6, 7)
Describe in a general way with selected specific examples, the administrative systems of both the Federal and California State system of government; this shall include a definition and assessment of the role of bureaucratic organization in both. (6)
Critically evaluate the role of government in promoting the general welfare. (3, 9)
Explain the relationship between foreign policy and national security, identifying the relevant legislative, executive and judicial provisions. (10)