Final Exam for Com 350

This examination is due at the time for the final exam in this class Tuesday, May 8, at 3:00. Choose any two to write on. I think at least five pages per question is necessary to write a complete essay.

1. One of the themes that we have examined is the way that television has transformed political campaigning. We saw the beginning of this in The Last Hurrah as the old fashioned election techniques such as parades and political meetings were replaced with televised commercials. The Candidate is the most extensive examination of this process. Write an essay explaining how this process transformed Bill Mckay as a candidate and ultimately the political process itself.

2. All politicians try to influence the way their activities are seen and understood by the general public. In the movie, Wag the Dog, this process is carried to an extreme level. Write an essay describing the techniques used to create and to package a believable reality to the American public. Why do these techniques work?

3. In the movie, Primary Colors, one of the motivations for the men and women who work in the campaign is the feeling that they are "making history" and that their actions will elect a candidate who will make a difference. This motivation clashes with the realization that they face difficult choices in deciding how to deal with their opponents. Libby is the character who personifies this dilemma. Write an essay that examines how she justifies what she will do and not do for Jack Stanton. What is the importance of "the test?"

4. Medium Cool is framed by two automobile accidents. In between these two scenes, the personal stories and lives of a young woman with a son and a television reporter intersect against a backdrop of political protest. How does the reporter see himself? Does this change over time? You may want to look at other incidents such as his reaction to the Black militants or to the reason he was fired from his job to come up with a portrait of him.