1.        The Big Question: Every year there will be events focused on a public issue.

2.       Certificate in Civil Discourse: Student can earn a certification for being leaders in facilitating campus conversations and transforming conflicts.

3.       Information Literacy: Students will learn how to use evidence and research to evaluate public issues.

Term paper Critical Analysis Outline

1.        Focus on a Big Question: You need to critically analyze the stand of both Republican and Democratic leaders on some key political issue.

2.       Civil Discourse: Explain their argument better than they do.

a.       Understand that in politics there are difficult trade-offs between competing values.

b.      Recognize that everyone has a right to their own opinions but not their own facts.

c.       Appreciate the need for compromise, accommodation, tolerance, civility and openness in a diverse American society.

d.      Avoid uncivil and fallacious discourse: straw man arguments, fallacy of majority, red herrings, shifting the burden of proof, ad hominem attacks, wishful thinking, exaggeration, reductio ad Hitlerum arguments, etc.

3.       Information Literacy: Use evidence from quality sources to evaluate claims.

a.       Take apart every argument, and insist on evaluating the evidence for every claim.  How good is the evidence?  Consider a variety of high-quality course of information.

b.      Be very clear about which of their claims are ideological (statements about principles and values) and which claims are about facts.

                                                               i.      For  ideological claims, consider competing values and be clear about how you think these should be balanced.

                                                             ii.      Even ideological claims often make assumptions about facts.  Identify these assumptions and determine if there is evidence to support them.

c.       Evaluate factual claims with good evidence:

                                                               i.      Peer-reviewed journals or books.

                                                             ii.      Government data or documents.

                                                            iii.      Check sources against other sources.

 

Term Paper Reflective Essay on Public Policy Problems in American Government

 

In the term paper reflective essay you will discuss the political preconceptions you brought to the class, explain the conservative, progressive and libertarian responses to America’s public policy problems, develop a position on what we should do about the contemporary political problems you find most pressing, and explain how you might work for these solutions as a US citizen.  The purpose of this essay is for you to make sense of the course readings such that you may figure out your own political ideology and where you stand on the issues facing the Federal government. The main audience for this paper is, therefore, you yourself, so you will be graded on your ability to honestly explore your political values, be open to new information, analyze the course readings,  demonstrate steadfastness in figuring out your political beliefs, and creativity in developing a plan for citizenship action.  Your paper should include 4 elements that may be organized in any way you wish. 

 

Exploration

Discuss the political preconceptions you brought to the class and explain how they have been challenged by the course(about a long paragraph). 

  • You do not need to argue for one ideology here.  Rather, you should explore your preconceptions to find how the various ideologies influence your political views.
  • It might help to set out some of your core political and policy views first and then analyze them in terms of whether those views are progressive, liberal  conservative, democratic, republican, or whatever.

 

Explanation

Explain the conservative, progressive and libertarian responses to America’s public policy problems

  • You should have at least one paragraph explaining each of the 3 views.  Illustrate them with course readings.  You should cite Bork, Obama, and a tea party Republican source extensively!

 

Analysis

Develop a position on what we should do about the contemporary political problems you find most pressing by analyzing the course readings. Your analysis should focus on addressing the conflicts between the preconceptions you brought to the course and the course readings. 

  • Your arguments must be supported by the course readings and other outside research.  Cite extensively.  Use the web sources from the powerpoint.
  • Try to develop a deeper understanding of the merits of conservative, progressive and libertarian positions than when you first explained them.
  • Good arguments address possible counterarguments.  If you disagree with an answer, say, the conservatives, you must explain why you think they are wrong rather than just ignoring them.
  • “I’m a progressive” is not an adequate argument for why you support a progressive position.  You need to explain why that position is right using evidence from the readings or your research.

 

Synthesis

Explain how you might work for these solutions as a US citizen.  In doing so, make sure you reevaluate your preconceptions. How have they changed as a result of this course?  Have you become more conservative, progressive, republican, or liberal?   How might these changes affect your participation as a citizen of the United States?

 

  • This is the part of the essay (around a page) in which you develop the implications of the conclusions you reached in your analysis. 
  • Demonstrate your knowledge of how the institutions of American government work.   What can a citizen do in the US to affect change?
  • Do not restate previously made points.  If it’s not something new, do not put it into this section. 
  • It is perfectly appropriate to discuss unresolved issues, confusions, or questions.