Instructions: Completed examinations are due Frid You are free to consult any written material or website, so long as you give appropriate credit for the source. Answers to the questions should be typed up, double-spaced, in 12-point font; please proofread your responses for spelling and grammar. The test consists of one essay question. I expect you to put a fair bit of time and effort into thinking about and researching the question you select. There are a wide range of potentially relevant internet sources, readings for this class, and lecture notes; be sure to properly reference any sources you use. Your answer is likely to benefit from well-constructed, well-labeled and well-explained graph(s). I expect a solid answer will take at least 6 double-spaced pages, but please do not exceed 10 pages. Good luck! The theme for the in-class presentation is the Trump Administration’s avowed goal of "energy dominance." As part of your participation in your team’s presentation, you will have been asked to consider the pros and cons of the administration’s goal. The team was not asked to take a position on the Trump Administration goal; in this essay I want you to take a side. In crafting your essay, I am looking for a discussion of costs and benefits. As I noted in the description for the presentations, some of the policies worth consideration are: • the decision to roll back regulations governing offshore exploration and extraction • the decision to roll back the "flaring rule" • the decision to accelerate approval of infrastructure siting, including major pipeline projects such as the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines • the decision to greatly increase lease offerings, both on- and off-shore (Many of these policies are designed to unwind policies from the Obama Administration). If you think other issues or policies are important, please feel free to discuss those as well. To also provide a discussion of your view of the relative importance of these costs and benefits; this discussion should support your overall opinion as to whether the administration’s goal is prudent or not. Your score will be based on the quality of the arguments you construct, as well as the detail of your analysis.
