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AMERICAN GOVERNMENT |
POLITICAL SCIENCE 1 |
ESSAY ASSIGNMENT
Welcome to your paper assignment!!!
Were the Founding Fathers a bunch of greedy businessmen who
wrote a Constitution to suit their own needs? How well do you understand the debate over
unfunded federal mandates or the process of selecting judges? Is
Presidential power out of control, or being eaten away by Congressional
encroachment? The object of this assignment is to become intimately familiar
with the debates over two political issues.
Assignment
Your assignment is to compare and contrast the debates offered
in the DiClerico book. You must write two brief review essays on two
chapters in this book in which you compare and contrast the positions of the two
authors, while also arguing who you believe is most persuasive and why.
Each essay should be at least 2 FULL PAGES and NO
LONGER than 2 1/2 pages (double spaced). This is tough for some students who
like to write, and write, and write...without really saying a whole lot.
The page length requires you to get to the point of your argument. And
your essays must be typed!
Compare and Contrast Checklist:
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Have you opened with an introduction that lays out what this
review essay seeks to accomplish? |
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Is there a good hook that catches the interest of the reader
of your paper from the very beginning? |
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Have you fully explained the two author's positions? |
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Have you used specific examples to illustrate their
arguments? |
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Have you analyzed what their specific differences
are? (Comparing is easy; make sure you also contrast!) |
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Have you stated to the reader who you believe offers the
most persuasive argument and why? |
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Do you have a conclusion that sums up the paper? |
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Have you proofread your paper for grammatical and spelling
errors? |
Using Quotes and Plagiarism
I DO want you to use lots of examples from the DiClerico
readings, but I DO NOT want you to use any quotes!!! All examples
should be substantially paraphrased in your own words; and since I have read
these articles, I am going to know if you are just lifting sentences out of
them - so don't test me on this. You will receive an "F" on
your paper for plagiarism, and possibly an "F" in the class for
gross infractions of this rule.
Due Dates
These essays are due depending on the chapters you choose to
write on (though you are welcome to turn them in anytime before the due
date). You must choose AT LEAST ONE (maximum two) of the
following chapters from Group A to write on. I will NOT accept late
papers from Group A.
GROUP A
| Chapter 2 |
| Chapter 3 (pp. 44-51) |
| Chapter 14 (pp. 230-248) |
| Chapter 14 (pp. 249-265) |
|
Tuesday, 9/5 (Week 2)
Tuesday, 9/14 (Week 3)
Thursday, 9/21 (Week 4)
Thursday, 9/21 (Week 4) |
| Chapter 8 |
| Chapter 6 |
| Chapter 11
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Tuesday, 10/17 (Week 8)
Thursday, 10/26 (Week 9)
Thursday, 11/09 (Week 11)
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You may also choose ONE of the following chapters from
Group B to write a paper on:
GROUP B
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Chapter 5 (pp. 76-85) |
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Chapter 7 (pp. 94-105) |
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Chapter 9 |
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Chapter 12 |
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Chapter 13 (pp. 204-219)
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The due date for Group B papers are Thursday, 11/16 (Week
12). (Obviously, if you do not choose one of the chapters from Group
B, you must choose two chapters from Group A). Your Anti-Impeachment paper
is due on November 14, so I would recommend that you get these DiClerico papers done well ahead of that
due date.
PROOFREAD
and "spell check" your work as spelling and grammatical errors will
affect the overall presentation of your essay - and thus your overall grade.
A paper that is filled with grammatical, punctuation, and/or spelling errors
will NOT pass.
Late
policy:
I will NOT accept late papers from Group A. I will ONLY
accept late papers from Group B. Papers are marked down 1/3 of a grade each day (including Saturday and
Sunday) that they are late. Late
papers are defined as those which reach me after class on the specific due date
(i.e., a paper turned in after class is 1 day late).
I will not accept e-mailed papers.
Points:
125 points for EACH paper.