Module 1 Exam

Assignment Instructions — Knowledge & Comprehension Essays (Chs. 2–3)

Task. Write three short essays, each responding to the Knowledge & Comprehension prompts posted with this assignment. Each essay must be 200 words or more (you may go longer). Your goal at this level is to identify, define, and accurately explain concepts in your own words, showing clear understanding rather than evaluation or argument.

1. Explain what federalism is in the United States, distinguish it from unitary and confederal systems, and describe how constitutional powers are divided and how that balance has evolved.

2. Summarize three major weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and explain how the Constitution addressed each.

Ground your answers in the course text. Meaning, you should reference examples from the textbook. 

Use of sources & citation.

• Use the assigned text (and class notes) as your primary source.

• Paraphrase carefully; keep any direct quotation to ≤10% of an essay.

• Provide brief parenthetical citations—for example: (OpenStax, Ch. 2 §2.3) or (Ch. 3 §3.1)—and include a short Works Cited entry at the end (e.g., OpenStax, American Government, chs. 2–3).

Academic integrity (strict).

• No AI tools (no generative writing or paraphrasing systems of any kind). Do not use bots to brainstorm, outline, draft, rewrite, or “polish.”

• Your work will be screened with Turnitin; unusually high similarity (beyond properly cited quotations and references) will be investigated.

• Collaborative writing is not permitted; the prose must be entirely your own.

Formatting & submission.

• Submit one document (PDF or DOCX), with clear headings for Essay 1, Essay 2, Essay 3.

• 12‑pt readable font, double‑spaced, 1‑inch margins.

• Include word counts under each essay.

How you’ll be evaluated (100 pts total).

• Accuracy & completeness (45 pts): correct definitions and explanations that directly address the prompt(s).

• Use of evidence (25 pts): specific references to the text (sections, figures, or key terms) integrated smoothly.

• Organization & clarity (20 pts): focused topic sentence, logical flow, and a concise concluding sentence that restates the core idea.

• Mechanics & citation (10 pts): polished prose, proper attribution, and a complete Works Cited.