1) Explain the revolving door and the Texas legislature. Should ex-legislators be able to become lobbyists? Or should there be a ban on such activities? If so, should there be laws in place that will determine the time period of this kind of ban? Do you see any long-term dangers to permitting former lawmakers to serve as lobbyists? Explain. 2) Which of the two major political parties do you more closely lean towards?

Explain and in doing so, be sure to express your conversance of Texas’ party and ideological leanings in comparison with that of the US as a whole and also between other US states. Given the shifts in Texas’ population demographics, do you believe this is a favorable development given your stated political leanings? Explain and in doing so, be sure to apply your answer to the demographic shifts that were discussed in

class. 3) While citizens are often encouraged to vote, it is quite rare for any election to be decided by one person’s single vote. Related to this participation paradox, voter turnout in Texas is lower than most other US states. Assume that you are planning to vote in the upcoming elections, discuss the voting barriers that exist in Texas. Would you and/or other would-be voters be deterred from voting due those barriers? Why or why

not? 4) Given that the 45th President Donald Trump (and many of his supporters) have questioned the legitimacy of how the 2020 presidential election had been conducted, what is your response? If you were placed in charge of determining how upcoming elections would be conducted in Texas, what change(s) would you push for? Discuss your take on mail-in voting and its pros and cons. Be sure to also discuss the pros and cons of drive-thru voting as well. Whichever three questions that appear as well as in the order with which they appear on the exam will be

determined randomly in Canvas. It will be unlikely that any two students will receive the exam same questions as well as in the exact same order that they appeared once a student opens up a test. That said, these exams are, by its nature, open-textbook, open-note, and basically open-a lot of things. While essay exams are not intended open-classmate, you are welcome to discuss these questions with your classmate so as long as

you submit independently written answers to each question you receive on the exam. In other words, no two students should turn in the same submission word-for-word. Doing so IS grounds for academic dishonesty. Beyond that, I trust that you all will turn in high quality, substantive answers in your own words. Students are welcome to use outside sources so as long as they cited accordingly