The Assignments Page
Political Science
151, Spring Semester 2012 (policy paper assignment is below, all
the way down)
Last
Things. Read the New Yorker
article about the internal
workings of the Court on Citizens United. The author has his own views. What are they? Is his claim about drivers of Supreme
Court decisions convincing? Also,
read this review of a book
about US foreign policy, a book your President has been seen carrying, by an
author that is Mitt RomneyÕs top foreign policy advisor. The author of the review is, in the
view of your professor, the best source on interpreting most US foreign policy
issues.
May 15—Citizenship
Choices.
á
See the New
Yorker article about a famous hacker.
Was Hotz, aka geohot, exercising citizenship?
á
Here is a story about President Obama
Visiting Wall Street. What is
his relationship to the audience?
á
In Sakai,
read the essay, Wolin_review_Johnson.docx. According the argument, what is the
content of citizenship today? So
what?
á
Finally, in Sakai read
the essay, smith_pols_public_life.pdf. Does the study of political science
help you be a better citizen?
á
Bring to class Thursday a last essay, about 500 words, that
addresses this question: Is
politics likely to be an important part of your life? In your response, please be sure to touch on at least one
feature of the US Constitution, two features of political behavior, and two
major national government institutions.
May
17—The last essay is due. We
will discuss them in class.
May
8— Due to the missed class last Thursday,
we will begin with a reprise of the significance of oil in US international
policies, based on the assigned readings for that class. Then: The US in the World: What to Do about
Nuclear Weapons. Please read the following.
á
The current uses of nuclear weapons raises issues among allies, for
example in this
story about a study from last year.
(The report referred to in the article is here,
optional reading.)
á
The Nuclear Threat Initiative
is led by members of the foreign policy community worried about
proliferation. They put together
the Nuclear
Tipping Point project, where four former government officials argue for
complete disarmament. Here is the preview
to their movie.
á
By way of background, technical knowledge about how to build a nuclear
weapon is openly available. Here
is the story of one guy
who pieced together the design of the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. The knowledge is now widely available, as discussed in this
story about Òloose geeks.Ó
This is about Iran (see next point). If the members of this class wished to build such a bomb, what would be
the most difficult pieces to get?
What does that suggest about needed elements of US policies?
á
What should US nuclear policies include? Here is
a report, responding to the Bush years and intended as advice for the
incoming Obama administration.
Read the executive summary (pages 3 & 4) and enough of the rest so
that you understand the executive summary. Here is a description of the
relationship between China and Iran.
It is rather straightforward.
Focus particularly on the policy advice, that starts on p. 23. Is the advice specific enough to
follow?
á
A late arrival in my mailbox: Will
Iran get the bomb? See the
article in Sakai.
May
10— The US in the
World: What to do about the Next Financial Crisis.
á
See the article in Sakai resources, friedman_financial_trouble.doc. The author of the review closes with a claim that Òutopian economicsÓ
has been discredited, and that sensible policies that will stave off the next
financial crisis will be passed. Did this
happen?
á
And, also in Sakai, see the picture, Eurocrisis.jpg,
which is a graphic description of the Euro troubles.
á
Here are a couple of related recent news itemsÉ. a slightly edgy story on SEC
enforcement action against a rating agency. (No, not those rating agencies, another one.) É. a slightly oblique description
of a possible Volcker Rule, soonÉ.
á
A member of the board of governors of the Federal Reserve
recently gave a talk on reform since the financial crisis. See the file in Sakai, reform_update_5_12.docx.
In about a page, describe two policy
choices the US should make to make
another financial crisis less likely.
If you donÕt believe any such actions are warranted, describe why.
May
1— What have the primaries given us? For a little perspective on the
polls now, read this
post from Nate Silver. Here is
an additional set of lessons on how
to interpret polls and news about the campaign. Also see these two posts, one by Silver on models
of predicting elections and one by a political scientist responding
to that post. In a paragraph,
summarize how well we are able to predict presidential elections. Bring to class, in writing.
á
Also, here is a story
following up on the policy paper question
about IranÉ. and, another
one. In this second one,
what would you want to know about the audience? BTW, the Intrade prediction on a strike against Iran before
the end of the year is down to 30%.
á
Here is a story about the influence of Paul
Ryan.
May
3— The US in the
World: What to Do about Oil. Peter Maas wrote a book about the politics of
oil, and has generously posted three articles that went into the book.
This brief piece is about the cost of
defending access to oil. This
brief piece is about other costs of our
relationship to oil. And this
longer piece is about the complexity of
international oil politics.
Here is something put together by your professor back when the price of gas was
about a dollar less than it is now.
Elected officials have begun openly discussing the idea of reducing or
dropping oil industry subsidies.
Should we? One piece of the
puzzle is found in the CRS memo on oil subsidies and gas prices, in the resources
section of Sakai. Finally,
also see in the resources
section of Sakai the article on climate change politics,
gcc_climate_change_miss.docx. In about one
page (approx. 300 words) describe why our political system has such a difficult
time responding to these policy challenges. In your response, include at least one reference to the
Constitution, one reference to the operation of a major political institution,
and one reference to political behavior. Bring the essay to class, on paper, to share with your
peers.
Tuesday, April 24. Polarization and Policy. Read Pierson,
Chapter 9. According to the chapter, are we in
an era of heightened polarization?
So What? Here is the Polarized America webpage.
We will go through the graphs. Read through the material there. Do you see any evidence
of polarization in this study done by Pew Research? Here is a report, for example, on where we get our news.
Summarize what you find in one or two
paragraphs, bring to class.
Questions for Pierson, Chapter 9 (bring to class prepared answers for questions 3
and 10).
1. The chapter opens with a claim. What is it? 223
2.
The pattern of bills
that get through Congress changes with increased polarization. How so? 224
3. What has changed in
order to produce the increased polarization? 226
4.
Why
the sudden shift? 228-9
5.
On
p. 231 the author notes that independents prefer Seinfeld reruns to any news
broadcast. What is this a sign
of?
6.
What
do you think of the authorÕs interpretation of the relationship between polarization
and inequality? 231-2
7.
What
do political scientists mean by a pivot?
234-5
8.
Why
is strategic disagreement more likely under conditions of increased
polarization? 236-7
9.
Has
polarization affects the number of laws passed by Congress? 238-9
10. How has polarization
affected the content
of policies? 240 The author claims that under polarized
conditions the extreme wings of a party have more influence on policy. Why? 244-5
11. How does polarization in
Congress affect the powers of other branches of government? 245-6
Thursday, April 26. Taxes
Reconsidered. Read Pierson,
Chapter 10. Here is an account of
some of the complexities
of the tax code, courtesy of the Economist last tax day, and a commentary on tax preparers
for this year. Also read the IRS
forms 1040, 1040 schedule a, 1040 schedule b, and 1040 schedule c. In writing, show how you can cheat on your
taxes to provide an additional refund of at least $1,000. In case you were wondering, most Americans
now think the tax code is not fair.
Pierson, Chapter 10 Reading Questions (note: this builds on the polarization arguments in chapter 9)
1.
The author says the tax policy changes during the Bush administration
were significant. How
significant? 256-7
2.
Did public opinion polls show a great deal of public support for tax
cuts? 258-9
3.
How were taxes the Òglue that holds together the
contemporary Republican partyÓ?
260
4.
What is more polarized, the elites or the
voters? What changed this
pattern? 261-3
5.
In the march toward polarization, which party
changed the most? 264-5
6.
How has the relationship between political
parties and individual legislators changed in ways that increase polarization? 266-8
7.
What was Òthe 2001 breakthroughÓ? 270 How was it a significant shift? 271-2
8.
The 2006 budget is offered as an illustration of
the new Republican strategy. What
it a smart strategy? 275-7
9.
The summary of basic strategy, and its
significance, is on p. 278.
Tuesday, April 17: Environmental Policy
and US Politics. Read the five (5) files in the Sakai
folder on Environmental Policy, spill_scandal_president.doc, energy_reserves.docx,
ClimateScientistsAmicusFinal.pdf (starting at page 15) and gcc_climate_need_to_know.doc. For each, keep a list of questions that
arise from your reading, and for the last one, describe the authorÕs values in
half a page. Also for each, pick
two statements you wish to affirm in some way, and two statements you wish to
contest in some way, and bring the list to class.
A documentary is showing on campus, ÒStanding on My SistersÕ
Shoulders,Ó about Mississippi women in the 1950s and 1960s who worked for
voting rights.
Wednesday, April 18, UC 133, ÒrefreshmentsÓ (aka free food) starts at 5:30 pm, the film should start at 6. We can check on this, as the flyer being distributed says 6-8, which suggests they will actually start the film at 6:30. It is an hour in length. If you attend and write up a response to things in the film that caught your attention, you will receive the equivalent credit of one of the turned-in homework assignments. Try to use course concepts in your response.
Is
Meaningful Financial Regulation Possible? Recent HP storyÉ.
Examine this graphic on social justice
comparisons among OECD countries. In one page, how does the US stand in relation to other OECD
countries, and why? Bring this to class.
A report describing the findings in detail, Social_Justice_OECD.pdf, is in the Sakai
resources section.
Pierson
Chapter 8 Reading Questions: (Be prepared to discuss in class.)
1.
The author
offers an opening paradox, pp. 191-2.
What is it? Note she will
try to analyze it with respect to three recent trends in development of the
welfare state. The
transformationsÕ overall effect is described on the bottom of 193.
2.
Did
New Deal programs lead to more political participation? If so, why? 194-5 In
particular, what is the evidence of this relationship from the GI Bill? 196-7
3.
The
connections between government and some citizens has shifted due to the program
changes noted in this chapter.
Which citizens have been most affected? Why? 198-201.
4.
Newer
welfare state programs tend to rely more on tax expenditures. How do these work to shift resources
upwards? 202-3
5.
The
author claims that Ò(d)ifferent policiesÉappear to engender different degrees
of political participation.Ó
(205) How so?
6.
Voter
turnout and the trends in benefits programs seem to be related. How so? Why? 208-9
7.
Note
that the type of group matters when it comes to exercising influence, as does
the way recipient groups are characterized by politicians and the media. 210-11
8.
The
newer types of welfare state programs, according to the author, are less
effective at instilling positive attitudes toward government. How does this happen? 212-15.
good story on budget politics in Congress.
Tuesday
April 10: Democracy and
Capitalism. Read Pierson Chapter 6. Also see the article in the Sakai Resources
section, republican_elite_grip.doc. Write an abstract for the article and
bring it to class.
Pierson
Chapter Six Reading Questions (be sure to identify any items that are not
clear, discuss in class—and notice that question 6 includes a written
component):
1. Note two concepts that
are at the center of this chapter:
priming and issue ownership.
What do they mean? 135
2.
What is the trend in average worker hourly wages, from 1973 to the
present? How did households
increase their incomes, in spite of this?
136-7
3.
How has voter concern for economic insecurity changed from 1946 to the
present? 138-9
4.
What issues are mostly emphasized in the political advertisements of
the parties? What does this tell
us? 140-1
5.
Voters have come to credit the Republicans with better economic
management than the Democrats.
Why? 142-6
6.
The author argues the Republican economic message is clear and
consistent, compared to that of the DemocratsÕ. What is consistent about it? Why is this clear?
(146-7) Look up RomneyÕs economic message, and,
in writing, describe whether it is consistent with this interpretation of the
Republican economic message.
7.
Small business organization and think tanks were important to
Republican economic messages. Why
are think tanks so important?
147-9
8.
Things went pretty well during the Clinton years, in terms of economic
growth and unemployment. Why did
the Democratic party get so little credit for this? 150-5
9. What did Irving Kristol predict
about the political consequences of big deficits? Was he right?
156-7
Thursday,
April 12: Conservative Mobilization. Read Pierson Chapter
7.
Pierson
Chapter 7 Reading Questions: (Note: this is a very good chapter, bring
notes from answering these questions to class.)
1.
What is the shift
this chapter seeks to explain? 160
2.
The author introduces
the idea of policy Òinsulation,Ó and Òdepoliticization.Ó What does this mean? 161-2
3.
Conservatives
faced professional networks that had a monopoly on expertise in various policy
areas. What strategies did they
use to gain influence in policymaking?
(see the list of 6 strategies on 163. Mark this passage, it will come in handy.)
4.
Why has Social
Security been such a difficult set of policies for conservatives to
change? 165
5.
How did the Heritage
Foundation organize to help make SSA Òno longer an important player in the
politicsÓ of SS reform? 166-7
6.
How did IRAÕs fit
into the strategies to privatize Social Security?
7.
What is the
significance in budget accounting rules in conservative efforts to change
Social Security? 171-2
8.
What roles did
public interest groups and law schools play in the rights revolution? 174
9.
Are businesses
reliable supporters of conservative political movements? 176-7
10.
Describe the
roles of the LEC and the Olin Foundation in building conservative support in
law schools. 178-181
11.
What does the
Federalist Society do? 181-3
12.
How did the IJ
and the CIR organize to build successful conservative public interest law? 184
13. Note, in the conclusion, that politicians are not reliable
foundations for conservative movements; it is all about organization.
Tuesday, April 3. Welcome
back from Spring Break. Remember
your policy papers are due Thursday.
This week we are looking at the federal courts, with
an emphasis on the Supreme Court.
Read the article
in Sakai, Òunregulated_offensive.doc,Ó and start reading
this blog and the subsidiary accounts of what the Court did last week [in
their accounts of the four issues before the Court on the ACA, read all the
linked posts by Lyle, Amy, and Kevin].
We are unlikely to get through this Tuesday, so we will continue with it
on Thursday,
April 5. If something new
comes up from our Tuesday discussions, I might post an additional reading for Thursday.
Tuesday, March 20. Today is the first day of Spring. Congress. Read Pierson,
Chapter 5. Also read this brief review of
the book ÒBroken Branch,Ó and the Òbroken
branchÓ essay in the course Sakai website. In writing, what specific reforms do the authors say are
possible?
Questions for Pierson, Chapter 5: (Bring written notes
on these you can show other members of the class.)
1. The 1970s reforms in Congress are described as an
attempt to support liberal ends, but instead they ended up supporting
conservative objectives. How did
this happen? 105-6
2.
What was Òthe conservative
coalitionÓ? What broke it up? 107-110
3.
The
author claims a strong role for party caucuses in Congress.
4.
We
read (111-112) that the modern conservative movement was somewhat unusual in
that it became aligned one political party. What were the essential features of its development?
5.
How
did Òmovement conservativesÓ change the way the Republic party operated in
Congress? 113-117
6.
The
author describes the struggle among parties in Congress for favorable media
coverage. 117-122
7.
We
read about the style of leaders like Gingrich and DeLay (up to p. 133). What does the author say is their chief
motivation? (see p. 128) Can we call that style of leadership
successful?
Thursday, March 22. Congress, continued. We do NOT meet as a class today. Instead of the class meeting, please do
the following. Read the several congress
files in the course Sakai
resources section . For each of
the following, write an abstract, and bring to class next Tuesday: 1. congress_senate_packer.doc, 2. congress_filibuster.doc,
Issa_lizza.doc.,
and gcc_climate_change_miss.doc. This is about influence and
Congressional procedures. You should
attempt to evaluate what this all means for the expectations of Congress we may
have.
Tuesday, March 13: How did the Presidency become the primary branch? There are two readings for today in the Sakai
Resources section: (1)
cole_addington.docx, (2) Unitary_Executive.doc, and (3) pres_power_obama.doc. For each, write an abstract and bring it to
class. For those who plan to
attend law school, also see Lyons_State_Secrets.pdf.
Thursday,
March 15: The Presidency (II). See the articles in
the Sakai
Resources section: pres_obama_memos.docx, and obama_pres_theme.doc. For each of them, write an abstract that accurately
conveys the content of the authorÕs argument. Also, select three claims from each that you find helpful in
interpreting the powers of the presidency. Write them and bring to class.
Tuesday, March 6. The Financial Crisis and Public Policy. First, you have by
today chosen your
policy paper topic. Today we
go over the logic of policy papers.
See the articles in Sakai, (1)
Friedman_financial_troubles.doc, (2) crash.doc, and (3) Warren_unsafe.pdf. Bring a written essay to class, about 300 words,
that describes an instance of deception that helped to produce the financial
crash. Also read this
op-ed from FridayÕs NYT. We
might start the movie, Inside Job.
Thursday, March 8. We
will see the movie, Inside Job. Also
today, bring
to class a written description of the part of the policy that will be the
focus of your paper.
Tuesday, February 28: Parties and Voting. Read Pierson Chapter 4. Also see the
articles in the
Sakai
Resources section: (a) bartels_irrational_electorate.doc. Write and bring to class an answer to
these questions: According to Bartels, are you irrational? Do you agree with his way of answering that question? (b) mayer_covert_koch.doc. Is this about parties or interest
groups?
Pierson, Chapter 4 Questions (Be sure
you are able to answer these, and link them to Pierson Ch. 2. Bring in writing the items in bold type):
1. The author (Campbell) begins with the claim that the
parties has Òreconfigured themselvesÓ in order to cope with several broad
changes. What are the two main characteristics
of the new parties? 68
2.
Note on pp. 69-71 an
account of changes—the decline of old party ways, the rise of
candidate-centered elections, the greater role of primaries, and so on. This is a brief account, but one
omission seems inappropriate: on
p. 71, he tells the story of HumphreyÕs victory achieving the nomination over
McCarthy and Kennedy.
Wait—What Happened To Kennedy On June 5, 1968?
3.
How
did the parties react to their loss of control over the nomination
process? 72
4.
How
is party contact with voters different, comparing the 1950s to the
present? 73
5.
This
is a fine chapter, by a fine political scientist. And yet, check the narrative on p. 75. The story as told here is one take on
it. The author quotes the Edsalls
to summarize the trend. Guess what
the Edsalls said about why this happened?
(Feel free to refer to the_color_line.doc, assigned earlier in the class.)
6.
What
did the Republicans do so much better than the Democrats? 77-9
7.
Note,
on 80-1, that Political Scientists disagree on just what happened, but they
agree that something big has happened.
What happened?
8.
Examine
table 4.1, p. 82. What does it
show? Create three specific claims that are
supported by the data.
9.
Examine Figure 4.2, on p. 84. Explain the shift depicted.
10.
Why
are Social Security and Medicare so politically important? 87
11.
How
do the young (as in, YOU), typically behave in elections? 88
12. What is the gender gap
in our electoral politics? What
caused it? 90
13. Examine figure 4.5 and
4.6, on pp. 92-3. What do they
show?
14. The section beginning on
p. 94 describes, according to the author, Òthe most profound change in American
politics.Ó What changed? Why?
Thursday, May 1: Government and the problem of War. Policy Paper
Assignments. See the three articles in the Sakai
Resources section and bring
written answers to class for the following questions: (a) Urquhart_clarke.doc. What was ClarkeÕs
job? Why did he fail to convince
people in the White House of the threat from terrorists? (b) sold_war.doc is an account of creation of propaganda. List the creations of the Rendon group,
according to Bamford. (c) powers_review_wills.doc. How did
nuclear weapons change the decision making structures concerning defense
policies?
Tuesday, February 21: Activist Government. Read Pierson, Chapter 2. Also, read national_security_state.doc, in the Sakai
Resources section.
For the
essay in Sakai, in writing, describe the extent and the accountability system (Who
controls it? How well does Congress and the President keep tabs on its
activities?) of the recently expanded national security state.
Pierson, Chapter 2 Questions: (bring notes to
class to support our discussions)
1. What were the main periods of government
expansion? 19
2.
The author notes, on p.
20, the four items he will examine to look at the rise of activist
government. What are they?
3.
What
is the broad picture on public spending for the years in question? (see figure 2.1) What were the main
changes across levels of government?
Did one party lead the way in these trends? 21-3
4.
Regulations
are hard to track. Why? What is the pattern in the passage of
laws for more regulations, and for deregulation? (see figure 2.2)
What is the pattern for regulatory spending? (see figures 2.3 and 2.4) 23-7
5.
What
does the author mean by the Òrights revolutionÓ? How does he measure the increase in rights? Why is this a feature of the growth of
activist government? 27-9
6.
What
are tax expenditures? Who gets
most of the benefits?
29-31 (recall that article still
in Sakai, social_spending_politics)
7. When comparing the four
items described in this chapter (that list on p. 20), what is the pattern of
development? What comes
first? What comes next? 31
8. One way of thinking of
the government growth in this chapter is that the benefits citizens get from
government have grown. Do the
different types of benefits flow to different constituencies? What are the political consequences of
this? 32
9.
The
author poses a general theory of government growth, constituencies, and
backlash. How are these things
related to each other? 33-5
10. Why are tax subsidies
(tax expenditures) called the anti-government form of government spending? 36
11. The author claims the
American polity has been remade by this dynamic of activist government. Can you summarize how? 37 This is a central idea in this book—be prepared to
discuss and use it.
Thursday, February 23: Interest Groups. Read Pierson, Chapter 3. Also read the articles,
drew_selling_washington.doc, tax_breaks_story.doc, finance_campaigns_favors, and lobby_profit_colleges in the Sakai
Resources section. (The last 3 articles
are quite brief) In writing, answer
this question
and bring it to class: What is the distinction between the scandalous exchanges between
interest groups and government officials, and the everyday exchanges?
Pierson Chapter 3 Questions: (bring notes to class to
support our discussions)
1. In the introduction the author describes the chapter
themes, and a paradox—what is it, and why does it give conservatives an
advantage? 39-40
2.
Business organizations
have long been involved in politics.
What kinds of groups did ordinary citizens largely belong to, up to,
say, the mid-20th century?
Were those groups involved in politics? 41-2
3.
The
author describes three big shifts in the type of civic groups citizens
join. What were these big
shifts? Why did they favor
conservatives? 42-5
4.
How
did changing ideas about race and gender affect the large paternal and
fraternal organizations? 46-7
5.
The
author presents a causal relationship about the pattern of group change. First came government growth, then
certain types of groups grew, then businesses responded, and then group
leadership became more professional—leading to the situation today when
certain types of people are considered the civic leaders. Who? 47-52
6.
How
do the changes in political parties figure into these developments with groups?
52-4
7.
How
did the National Rifle Association become so politically influential so
quickly? 55-6
8.
The
author argues that citizens used to get valuable training from the older, now
diminished types of civic organization.
What training? So what? 57-9
9.
In
an interesting shift, the newer groups that serve largely middle-class citizens
have shifted our politics away from efforts to spread opportunity in the
USA. How so? 62-4
Tuesday, February 14. Political Culture in the USA. Read Pierson Chapter 1, and the_color_line.doc.
Read Pierson Chapter 1. Write an abstract for the chapter, and bring to
class along with a list of 3 key claims made in the chapter. [An abstract is a
brief (about 100 words) description of a paperÕs Òsubject, research method, findings,
and conclusions.Ó [from J.E.
Aaron, The
Little, Brown Compact Handbook, 4th ed. (Longman, 2001), p.
407. Here are ten examples of abstracts, from
various political science articles.]
Reading Questions for
Pierson, Chapter 1.
The author claims that
9/11/01 did not bring about a decisive shift in US politics; rather, it sped up
some trends that were well underway.
He lists three such trends (3-5).
What are they?
The author describes a methodological
orientation in the book. He claims
to adopt a Òlong-termÓ perspective.
(6) What does he mean by
ÒlongÓ and ÒshortÓ? Notice that
one claim about long term analysis is that it enables us to understand how long
it takes to achieve some goals in our politics (7).
The author also claims that a certain
type of abstraction is misleading about our politics. What does he mean by a focus on the Òstuff of politicsÓ in
the US? (8-9)
The rest of the chapter is a summary of
the remaining chapters. Notice
they are organized according to the three big trends described earlier in this
chapter.
Also, go to the course Sakai
site, and in the Resources section you will find the article, Òthe_color_line.docÓ. In writing (bring to class), what are the 3 or 4 most
significant shifts described in the article?
Thurday, Sept. 15. The Constitution. Read Federalist #10, and browse The Constitution,
each found in the Constitution folder in the resources
section of sakai. What is the
topic of each of the Articles of the Constitution? The NYT published this annotated guide
to the Constitution, emphasizing parts that galvanize partisan
conflict. Find two clauses of the
Constitution you find interesting, write them down, along with a sentence about
your interest, and bring them to class.
For Federalist #10, write an abstract and bring it to class.
Thursday, February 9. Day one.
Familiarize yourself with the central theme of our textbook. We will add to it three major themes
throughout the course, features of US politics that are essential: religion, the color line, and
inequality.
Here is a description of the Policy Papers
you will be asked to write, and here is the Policy Paper Assignment.
Topics will appear here during the semester. You will be asked to choose from a list
of three.
Papers should be 4-6 pages in length (900-1500 words),
and will be evaluated with the following criteria in mind:
á
Apply the logic
of policy analysis used in POLS 151
á
Establish a clear
focus and thesis for the essay.
This means you need to develop a critical perspective, and make it
apparent to your reader.
á
Introduction is
detailed, not overly general
á
Other course
material effectively used to situate argument
á
Body paragraphs
focused on clear arguments / interpretive claims (have a clear purpose for each
paragraph; when discussing evidence avoid mere summary)
á
Arguments are
supported and developed by evidence.
Please study Stephen ToulminÕs analysis of argumentation.
á
Choice and
discussion of evidence persuasively addressed complexity of topic under discussion
á
Actively discuss
/ interpret cited evidence
á
Quotes, tables
and figures are used economically and integrated smoothly into the prose
á
Writing is
reasonably free of mechanical errors.
Most people have difficulty with this—use a writing manual, and
make it a habit to do so. Writing
errors get in the way of your meeting all the other criteria. As with any other skill, this takes
practice.
Paper is due March 20, in class.
