Step One: Gaining Background Knowledge

Topics for the composition essay exam prompt examinees to make an argument about a public policy or proposed piece of legislation.

Examples of such topics.

• Should the public schools set aside a time when children can say prayers?
• Should the federal government fund parenting programs in public high schools?
• Should snowmobiles be permitted to operate in national parks?
• Should airline pilots be permitted to carry guns?
• Should high school students undergo mandatory testing for drugs?
• Should same-sex marriage be recognized by law?
• Should campaigns for public office be financed by taxes?
• Should smoking be banned from pubs and bars?

Such essay topics assume writers have some knowledge about how political process works in the United States, about how laws are made, about Congress, about the U.S. court system, about government offices, about institutions such as the U.S. prison system, and so forth.

To build your confidence before addressing such an issue on the exam, you can:

1. Be aware of the current events and public policy issues that might form the source for one of these topics by studying the public debates appearing in the op-ed pages of newspapers like the Boston Globe, or the New York Times. You can also visit web sites maintained by U.S. News & World Report (http://www.nsnews.com) or by Times News (http://www.timesnews.net/), which posts editorials daily. You can access editorials on these sites by clicking choices under the "Opinion" section of the home page.

2. Find a basic civics textbook at the public library or a bookstore, or else review the web sites below. As you read, try to gain the following information, especially:

• What is the function of the Constitution?
• What is the Bill of Rights? What rights does it grant U.S. citizens?
• How does one become a U.S. citizen?
• In what ways can citizens participate in government?
• What are Constitutional Amendments? What are examples of Constitutional Amendments? How are they made?
• What is a "federal law"? A "state law"?
• How are federal laws made? State laws?
• What are the functions of the Supreme Court?
• What is a Presidential veto? How can it be overridden?
• What are the branches of government? What is meant by "the balance of powers"? What is meant by "checks and balances"?
• What is the difference between the Senate and the House of Representatives? How are the members of each elected?
• What issues are left up to individual states? What issues or policies are decided and enforced by the federal government?
• What powers do national and state governments share?

Helpful web sites about U.S. government..

http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/c/g/cgm118/civics/
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/
http://www.house.gov/house/Educat.html
http://www.usconstitution.net/constam.html

Some basic primers about U.S. government.

The Constitution of the United States: An Introduction, by Floyd G. Cullop

Get Ready for Civics: Government & Citizenship, Eds. Nancy White and Francine Weinberg

How to Prepare for the U.S. Citizenship Test, by Gladys E. Alesi (see overview of history and civics, also the appendix)