The 25% Test

Stress!!!!

It came upon me once my first class let out at 10:30am. I had 2 hours and 30 minutes to go over all my notes.

I called my friend Leah to study with me. She said she'd meet me in the Union at 12:15pm.

My ADD was put on hold this afternoon as I gracefully memorized all my notes. It was awesome! Leah finally arrived and we went over some questions on the study guide that I wasn't too sure about.

The study guide was 17 questions long. Professor Lehman said he'd put 5 similar questions on the test and we'd have to pick 4. Now you can see why I was so stressed. Studying for 17 essay questions isn't the easiest thing to do.

We went to class at 1pm and Professor Lehman handed out the test.

Here are the questions that I chose to answer:

• Wade and Wolf [from the readings] debate whether global poverty and economic inequality are getting worse. What is the theoretical and empirical basis of their respective arguments?
• Thomas Friedman clearly supports the idea that globalization is generally a positive and beneficial force. How does Friedman's argument represent the title of his book: The Lexus and the Olive Tree? What are the merits of his overall argument and what are the weaknesses? All in all, what is your final opinion about his argument?
• Many observers claim that globalization is simply a form of US power. What is the basis of this argument? In what way is this a compelling argument or an inaccurate view of globalization? Present evidence to support your position.
• Some analysts have asserted that globalization is an attack against the state as these global forces undermine its autonomy. Globalization is indeed a powerful force that affects the economic and political sovereignty of states. To what extent do you accept this argument that globalization is weakening state sovereignty?

Here's the essay that I didn't do:

• The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the WTO represent for many international institutions engaged in globalization. But what is their relationship to democracy in the world? In what way do these organizations promote or hinder democratic expansion?

I didn't do the last one because I didn't have much to say about it. I made outlines for all the questions and the other 4 were stronger.

I nailed 3 questions, but the last one I wasn't too sure on (the one about globalization and US power). We'll get our grades soon and I hope I did really well.