View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. On what day did O'Rourke attend a housing rally?

2. How many ninth graders were at the high school in O'Rourke's town?

3. O'Rourke argues that modern, poor Americans earn greater income than the middle-class Americans of what year?

4. O'Rourke says the hysteria over drugs in the middle class could be the product of what?

5. How did O'Rourke feel about the USS Mobile Bay?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does O'Rourke feel that the best policy for dealing with Afghani Pathan tribesman is to just stay away from them?

2. How does O'Rourke feel about his town government blocking the building of a golf course?

3. How does O'Rourke feel about American poverty at the beginning of "Poverty Policy: How to Endow Privation"?

4. Why does O'Rourke fault environmentalists for making "big business" out to be the enemy?

5. How does O'Rourke feel about claims of collateral damage during Operation Just Cause?

6. How does O'Rourke see a connection between the fear of crack cocaine in America and racism?

7. Why does O'Rourke believe that a lot of money should be spent on the American military?

8. Describe O'Rourke's experience when he joined the Guardian Angels on a drug den raid.

9. How does O'Rourke suggest solving the problem of students dropping out of school?

10. Who does O'Rourke blame for the savings and loan collapse?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explore O'Rourke's idea of the "whiffle life." How does it apply to people with different economic statuses? How do the rich fair in the whiffle life? How do the poor fair? What point is O'Rourke making about the country in general when he speaks about the "whiffle life"?

Essay Topic 2

What role did the media play in George H. W. Bush's popularity? How does O'Rourke characterize the media's feelings toward Bush? How does he seem to feel about the media's treatment of Bush? What is the significance of O'Rourke including this observation in his book? What point is he trying to make?

Essay Topic 3

Explore the author's feelings about the Republican and Democratic parties. How does he characterize Republicans and their ideals? How does he characterize Democrats and their ideals? What characteristic do the parties share? What faults does he find with each party? Does he say anything positive about each party?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 796 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample