Instructions: On the day of the examination (March 1st) you will be given a choice of two of the questions from the list below. You will then have to answer one of the two questions. No notes or books may be used during the exam. Please refer to the hand-out on exam grading criteria for the basis upon which the essays will be evaluated.

    1. Explain, compare, and contrast the conceptions of the "constitutional presidency" offered by Rockman and Tulis, taking care to identify the specific features of the Constitution that support each interpretation. (Note: for this question, limit your discussion of Tulis to the original, "Big C" Constitution.)

    2. Explain, compare, and contrast how Greenstein and Howell understand the "modern presidency."

    3. Explain Tulis's concept of the modern (or "small c") presidency, then explain how the concept of presidential populism challenges Tulis's framework, and evaluate whether the evidence that Bimes and Mulroy present in support of presidential populism suffices to lead us to reject Tulis's concept of the modern presidency.

    4. Skowronek argues that besides the constitutional and modern dynamic of the presidency we must also appreciate where a president stands in "political time," that is, the cycle of regime creation, maintenance, and decline. Define "partisan regime," explain his model of the regime presidency, and situate Bill Clinton and one other president discussed by Skowronek in "political time" and justify that placement.