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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 recent surgery has the Captain undergone when Naylor meets him in Chapter 6?

2. In Chapter 12, what do the two D.C. policeman think Nick is?

3. Why did Polly Bailey move from a Representative's office to the Moderation Council?

4. What international issue is Bailey's ex-boyfriend Hector fiercely concerned about?

5. What disguise does the nico-terrorist who sticks a gun in Nick's back in Chapter 11 wear?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Nick fare in the Oprah show?

2. Why did Polly Baily join the Moderation Council?

3. What bet do Polly and Bobby Jay make at Bert's in Chapter 7?

4. How does Nick Naylor defend his position at Clean Lungs 2000?

5. What issue does Nick have with with Sven Gland's ad campaign in Chapter 7?

6. How does Nick's meeting with Heather Holloway end in Chapter 9?

7. What is the MOD Squad?

8. Why does Nick survive the attempt on his life by the nico-terrorists?

9. Describe Budd Rohrabacher.

10. Describe the transfixed moment Naylor experiences at the end of Chapter 3.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The MOD Squad is a compelling device in the novel. It allows several characters, particularly Nick, to speak honestly about their industry and the world of lobbying in general. Write an essay about the role of the MOD Squad in the novel. How do the three merchants of death relate to each other? What information do they discuss that they could not discuss with the general public? What arguments do they have? Describe each individual relationship within the group.

Essay Topic 2

Nick Naylor is a dynamic protagonists who achieves dizzying heights and harrowing lows over the course of the novel. Write an essay on the scope of his rise and fall, dividing it into a first part about his high water mark. What is the greatest level of power that Nick achieves as a lobbyist in the novel? The second part should deal with his deepest low. What betrayals and freak incidents contribute to this precipitous fall? In summation, discuss what Nick learns from these events.

Essay Topic 3

The world of tobacco in Buckley's novel is divided into two groups: the old-school manufacturers and the slick image men who try to sell the industry to the country. Write a essay about this conflict, focusing on each side individually:

Part 1) The old style of tobacco men is represented most clearly by the character of the Captain. What does the old man value in business? Why does he take to Nick Naylor so fervently? How are his views considered antiquated by the new guard, and how does his death mark the passing of an era?

Part 2) The new style of image and branding is perhaps best represented by the slick, deceptive BR. What does he want to do to change the Academy, and how do these changes jive with the old style of men like the Captain? What kind of support does BR have at the Academy, and how is his power derived almost exclusively from lies and treachery?

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