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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. Which of the following endorse Obama after the New Hampshire primary?

2. The acronym HAMP carries which of the following meanings in the memoir?

3. Which of the following does Obama select to head the Council of Economic Advisers?

4. Which of the following does Obama select to become Treasury Secretary?

5. To which of the following novelists’ audiobooks does Obama report listening while an Illinois state senator?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the overall tone of the first section in Chapter 10, describing the Oval Office, and how is it conveyed?

2. Why does Obama note unease at being “the new ‘in’ thing” (196)?

3. What comment is reported that Billy Shaheen makes about Obama?

4. To what factor does Obama ascribe his good working relationship with Harry Reid early in his term as a U.S. Senator?

5. What does Obama label as the “big sort” in politics?

6. To what political choices does Obama ascribe worsening income inequality as he moves into the general campaign from the primary?

7. What does Obama cite as his early problem in his campaign for president?

8. What are the three components of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act economic stimulus that Obama articulates?

9. What is the primary rhetorical approach Obama uses to persuade David Axelrod to support his attempt to win a U.S. Senate seat, and why is it the primary one?

10. What is the primary rhetorical approach Obama uses to persuade Michelle to support his first attempt to win political office, and why is it the primary one?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the memoir, Obama frequently compares himself to Lincoln. What function does the comparison serve in the memoir? How does it serve it?

Essay Topic 2

The memoir makes note of many, many names, mostly people who work for Obama in his offices and on his campaigns. What purpose might bringing up so many people serve? Does the memoir fulfill that purpose? How or how not?

Essay Topic 3

Obama remarks several times through the memoir about playing cards, particularly Spades. What functions do the remarks serve, and how do the remarks serve those functions?

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