My Midterm

Do I expect anyone to read all of this? Not really. But I do think I'll start assembling a crack team of researchers to get started on this while I'm at work. Seriously, this is ridiculous:

Question #1

Excluding Governor Blagojevich, answer the following with respect to each of the other five constitutional officers in Illinois:

a. Who are they, and what are their political backgrounds?

b. Given their career in the public sector to date, is each one representative of an individualistic, moralistic or traditionalistic political culture? Explain fully.

c. To what extent do the functions of each office allow the office holder to initiate public policy of any importance?

d. With respect to (c), identify one important public policy measure that each has initiated, or at least proposed, during his/her current term.

e. Analyze the political futures of each, offering your own assessment as to the likelihood of success in each instance.

Question #2

With respect to our 1970 Illinois Constitution, answer the following:

a. In your opinion, what are the three most important changes/improvements contained in the document when compared to the 1870 Constitution? Explain fully.

b. In 2008, the voters of Illinois will be asked whether a new constitutional convention should be convened. At this point, what would be your response? Explain fully.

Question #3

Professor Bill Savage from Northwestern University said the following:

“The Chicago way is corruption which favors political insiders, keeps money flowing into bank accounts, and maintains the status quo.”

On the other hand, former Mayor Jane Byrne said that with respect to politics, there really isn’t a Chicago way. There is just a big city way, and Chicago politics is no different from any other big city. Byrne said,

“The real problem with the idea of a Chicago way is you can’t always tell if it’s real or an illusion.”

After reading Mike Royko’s book, what would Royko say? Would he agree with Savage or Byrne? Support your answer with specific references from BOSS.