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Contrast the experience of economic
interest groups with that of black groups in obtaining satisfaction for
their interests from the government. Indicate why in most circumstances
the black movement involved interest group rather than client politics.
Describe the strategies used by black leaders and explain why the civil
rights movement has become more conventional.
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Summarize the legal struggles of blacks to
secure rights under the Fourteenth Amendment, and indicate how the Court
construed that amendment in the civil rights cases. Discuss the NAACP
strategy of litigation, and indicate why it was suited to the political
circumstances. Summarize the rulings in Brown v. Board of Education
and compare them with those in Plessy v. Ferguson.
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Discuss the rationale used by the Supreme
Court in ordering busing to achieve desegregation. Explain the apparent
inconsistency between Brown and Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Indicate why
these decisions are not really inconsistent, and explain why the courts
chose busing as an equitable remedy to de jure segregation.
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Trace the campaign launched by blacks for
civil rights laws. Discuss the conflict between the agenda-setting and
the coalition-building aspects of the movement. Demonstrate how civil
rights advocates overcame resistance in Congress.
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Describe the differences between the black
movement and the women’s movement. Indicate the various standards used
by the courts in interpreting the Fourteenth Amendment, and explain how
these standards differ depending on whether blacks or women are
involved.
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Explain why ratification of the Equal
Rights Amendment proved impossible, despite strong congressional and
popular support. Discuss the changing agenda of the women’s movement.