Political Science Essay

Instructions for Writing a Good Essay and List of Possible Essays
General Instructions:
• Students must EITHER complete a Multiple Choice Exam OR submit an Essay on one of the following topics for the Phase One Exam.
• Remember, that at least one of three phase exams for the semester must be an essay exam. You may do all three phase exams as essays if you wish but you cannot do all three phase exams as MC Exams. One must be an essay. The comprehensive Final is MC only.
• Submit it on-line through Blackboard Assignments Phase One Essay Exam. Click on submit assignment and it will then give you opportunity to submit your essay as attachment.
• Please use: doc, docx, rtf, pdf, or htm as the format for your document
Sources and Citations: I do care that you use primary and secondary sources and you include tertiary sources only when the question requires it (e.g. commentary on current events). I require an absolute minimum of two primary or secondary sources; one of which must be counter to your thesis. It is often useful to have three or four citations. It is essential that you cite both at the end of the paper in a work cited page and as appropriate throughout the text. . If you still have doubts about citation (e.g. what a secondary source is or when to cite) ask me or consult the writing center.
• Primary Source: = Document or recording of political figure e.g. Presidential Diary or Autobiography, Notes made by Framers of Constitution, an actual Supreme Court Case- not summary of case, etc.
• Secondary Source = An article written by a recognized expert in that topic which analyzes the primary sources and additional research to come to a conclusion on one side or the other of a controversial issue. For example, a secondary source for an article on a Supreme Court Opinion would be a Constitutional Law specialist. An expert on health care (an academic or researcher who specializes in Health Care. Their views are typically found in peer review articles or at “think tanks.”
• Tertiary Source: Unless the question explicitly notes that tertiary sources are acceptable for that particular question, avoid these; they are generally unacceptable. Some examples of tertiary sources include the textbook, Wikepedia, comments of journalist, and blogs from someone.
Where to Find Good Primary or Secondary Sources:
o Google Scholar (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)NOT ordinary Google – will pull up secondary source references from scholars (experts on that topic). This is an excellent resource for secondary sources. Be sure that you can access entire article though, some references give you only the abstract for free
o Alamo College Library Data Bases (Links to an external site.)– especially articles cited in Academic Search Premere or Congressional Quarterly
o Various “think tanks (Links to an external site.)” (Links to an external site.)identified with different ideological points of view. You will want to find articles on both sides of the issue you choose.
o In a Supreme Court decision, the opinions of different Justices represent a primary source so you do not need to cite other sources.
Avoid Plagiarism: Students who plagiarize will receive a grade of “0” on this assignment. To avoid plagiarism, be sure to include in text citations not just for quotes but for source on a particular argument. Be sure to translate arguments found on these primary and secondary sources into your own words. I don’t mean shuffling a few words around but a complete restatement of the argument. Direct quotes are sometimes useful but they should also be rare. If you have any doubts about what constitutes plagiarism, ask writing center or Professor. The reason that you must submit the paper on-line through canvas rather than as a hard copy is that your essay will be examined by a very sophisticated anti-plagiarism program.
Critical Thinking: Your essay is a persuasive paper on a controversial topic. I require that you grasp the question at hand and the basic arguments with respect to that question. I expect you to define a thesis and support that thesis with evidence and logic. Very importantly, I will look to see that you have examined sources that take a point of view counter to your thesis and that you, in the course of your essay, respond to the strongest arguments counter to your thesis. I’m NOT looking for a particular political point of view; I’m looking for critical thinking. There are no politically correct positions you must adopt to get a good grade. In fact, to grade your essay, I will assume the perspective of the other side (even in, in reality, I agree with you). I will think of all the strongest arguments on the other side and look to see if you acknowledged and responded to those in the course of your essay.
Recommended Format for Essay:
1. Title Page (No specific form but include title of essay, your name, my name and Course number and section).
2. Essay Itself (Remember to include in-text citations in some format).
3. Work Cited Page or Bibliography (no specific form required).
4. RECOMMENDED BUT NOT REQUIRED: An Appendix that simply lists arguments pro/con on the issue. Again, this is not required, but I recommend you fill this out after you have done all your reading (with articles on both sides) and before you start writing your essay.
Grading Rubric: Each essay is worth 200/1,000 possible point for course:
Work-Cited and Title Pages: 5 % or 15/200 pts.
Quality of Sources: 10% or 20/200 pts.
Sources on Both Sides of Issue: 10% or 20/200 pts.
Citations inside text and Translation into Your Own Words: 15% or 25/200 pts*
Quality of Writing: Clear thesis with logically organized essay 20% or 40/200 pts.
Support Argument with Evidence and Logic?: 20% or 40/200 pts.
Acknowledge and Respond to Arguments Counter to Your Thesis: 20% or 40/200 pts.
*If you plagiarize you will get zero for assignment

                            Select one of the following Essays to Address

1. Winston Churchill once remarked, “Democracy is the worst form of government in the world….except for all the others….” Discuss this observation.   You will want to be sure to discuss both strengths and weaknesses you see in the theory and actual practice of Democracy in the US and contrast this with the theory and practice of other political systems.
2.  In his famous letter to the Danbury Baptists in Connecticut, Thomas Jefferson wrote “Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church and State”. What is your view on the need for a “wall of separation between Church and State?” What do you mean by the phrase? What would such a wall look like in practice? You may address this question different ways. Select one. You may discuss the question in general terms; you may discuss what you believe Jefferson meant by it; or you may, if you wish, discuss this in light of either the Santa Fe v. Doe or the Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores Supreme Court Cases.
3. One might argue that the United States is Democratic in some respects and not Democratic in other respects at any particular points in its history. First, define the characteristics of a Democracy. Having defined those characteristics, compare the extent to which the US was Democratic in the early 19^th Century with the situation now. In what respects (if any) could the US government be considered a Democracy in the early 19^th Century? In what respects was it Undemocratic then? In what respect (if any) is the United States a Democracy now and in what respects is it undemocratic?
4. Charles Beard argued that the framers of the Constitution were motivated more by personal financial interests rather than lofty ideological goals. Make an argument supporting or refuting Beard’s thesis then discuss the extent to the Constitutional institutions they created (whatever their motivations) support the financial interests of the elites today or at least potentially serve the larger public interest.
5. Define Madison’s basic thesis in Federalist 10 and make an argument on whether you agree with the Federalists or the Anti-Federalists on this point.
6. Discuss the significance of Jefferson’s substitution of the phrase “pursuit of happiness” for Locke’s use of “property” when Jefferson is defining the inalienable rights of man in the Declaration of Independence. Does this reflect a difference in their views of the ideal social contract or not?  Does this word change logically lead to a difference in governmental structures and procedures or not? Does it lead to a normative difference over government policy or not? If it does predict any differences, what is the nature of those differences?
7. Make an argument as to whether you prefer that Supreme Court Justices use the Judicial Review Philosophy of Judicial Activism or Judicial Restraint. If you favor one approach over another be sure to acknowledge and respond to the problems with your approach. If you believe that different circumstances or different issues require different approaches, define what those are.
8. Select either the DC v. Heller Case or the McDonald v. Chicago Supreme Court case. Write a Constitutional Opinion – in your own words but using Constitutional logic – that describes how you would have ruled in this case had you been a Justice. Your opinion should acknowledge the opinions of at least two Justices with special attention to the arguments of the Justice who voted opposite to your own opinion. Some limited use of quotations is allowed. Obviously you will rely heavily on the opinions of the Justice(s) with whom you agree but try to paraphrase in your own language as much as possible. You can also consult the briefs in the case (arguments made by lawyers in case) and Law-Review articles if you wish.
9. Select any Supreme Court case (since 2000) that deals with Federalism or any Civil Liberties or Civil Rights Issue. Write a Constitutional Opinion – in your own words but using Constitutional logic– that describes how you would have ruled in this case had you been a Justice. Your opinion should acknowledge the opinions of at least two Justices with special attention to the arguments of the Justice who voted opposite to your own opinion. Some limited use of quotations is allowed. Obviously you will rely heavily on the opinions of the Justice(s) with whom you agree but try to paraphrase in your own language as much as possible. You can also consult the briefs in the case (arguments made by lawyers in case) and Law-Review articles if you wish.