Parliament of Whores: A Lone Humorist Attempts to Explain the Entire U.S. Government Test | Mid-Book Test - Hard

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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What city does O'Rourke describe as having a climate like the inside of a locked van in the Sahara?

2. Who was Dukakis considering as a running mate before he picked Lloyd Bentsen?

3. O'Rourke says that the 1988 presidential candidates were less well chosen than whom?

4. Who was the solicitor general during a flag desecration case?

5. For what state was Dukakis governor in 1988?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does O'Rourke feel about the Democratic speeches given during a visit to the House of Representatives?

2. Why does O'Rourke say that George H. W. Bush's popularity plummeted?

3. How does O'Rourke feel that the American political system is like a Mexican Christmas fiesta?

4. What problems does O'Rourke see with the U.S. Constitution?

5. What did Ted Kennedy mean when he said "Where was George?"

6. How does O'Rourke describe one-minute speeches?

7. How does O'Rourke feel about the concept of political conventions?

8. From O'Rourke's description, what does a congressman's job entail?

9. How does O'Rourke feel about George H. W. Bush's rise to fame?

10. How does O'Rourke describe the partnership between Dukakis and Bentson?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does the author characterize the U.S. government? What techniques does he use to convey his feelings about the government to the reader? What does he mean when he says the government goes unchecked? Who does he think should be checking it?

Essay Topic 2

Explore the Supreme Court's 1990 ruling that flag burning cannot be prohibited. What is the significance of the author mentioning this ruling? Why does O'Rourke believe that the Supreme Court ruled that flag burning cannot be prohibited? What does the ruling seem to convey about how the Supreme Court works? What are O'Rourke's feelings about the Supreme Court?

Essay Topic 3

Why does O'Rourke say that the 1991 budget caused Bush to become less popular? What were the American people hoping for with Bush? What platform did he run on? How did increased taxes tie into into his decreased popularity?

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