POL 492/592 Exam on Establishment Clause Instructions: Choose ONE topic from the two below. Address it in a single organized, coherent essay. Make an argument in your essay and back it up with facts and examples from the course. You should use the readings and materials covered in class; no outside research is necessary or allowed. Choose cases from 1990 or later. You can offer opinions, but your essay is not primarily an opinion piece, as you must answer the questions posed. Suggested length of your essay is not to exceed four double-spaced, typed pages. Submit your essay to the drop box on D2L by Tuesday, February 27th at 11: 59 p.m. Graduate students only have to do one essay this time! Choice One: We know that the establishment clause was created in large part to ensure that the United States would never have an official state religion. After the Civil War, that requirement was also officially imposed on the states. Thus, there is no official state religion at any level of government in this country. But that was not all that the establishment clause was created to do. Its meaning has been interpreted over time (largely by the courts), resulting in an expansion of its purpose beyond merely ensuring that we have no state religion. Identify the primary purpose of the establishment clause today. (If you think it has more than one purpose, choose the most important.) Then pick 1-2 cases that you think best embody that purpose, and explain why. Choose cases that shows how the clause works well and fulfills its purpose—cases that can be considered as showing its success. Then, choose one additional case that shows the problems that arise in trying to use the establishment clause for its intended purpose—in other words, a case that was not so successful, or created problems, or caused confusion or controversy. Finally, comment on how successful you think the clause has been overall in meeting its purpose over the past 30 years. Choice Two: Describe the problems associated with trying to balance the establishment clause against the free exercise clause. How has the Supreme Court tried to achieve this balance? What guidelines has it used? Has it been successful, in your view? In answering these questions, explain for your lay reader what the purpose of the clauses are, and why the come into conflict and have to be balanced. Use at least 2-3 cases to illustrate the points you make, and to support your argument. Additional Instructions: 1. Do NOT discussion state religion in your answer to Choice One. 2. Remember to choose cases from 1990 or later. 3. There are no right or wrong answers to these questions. You’ll be graded on how thorough and persuasive you are in answering. 4. Organize your thoughts and proofread. *****