The Spirit of American Politics
This is a short writing assignment. It is a position paper, so there is no right or wrong answer, although the essay is evaluated for thoughtful consideration of the topics covered in this section of the course (The Spirit of American Politics, The Ideas That Shape America, The Constitution, and Federalism and Nationalism). Students should choose one of the following questions to answer for their essay, first by asserting a position (5 pts.); and second, arguing why the position is the correct one (5 pts.). Nonetheless, the essay must incorporate at least two references from the respective chapter in the Morone and Kersch textbook that pertains to the question selected (2 x 10 pts. = 20 pts.). The purpose of this assignment is for students to reflect on one of the topics discussed in class during this period. Introducing evidence into the essay to back up the position is ideal, but not entirely necessary. In any case, some thoughtful reflection or perhaps some rhetorical reasoning is required in the essay to be persuasive. The following questions are broad, but this is on purpose. Students may want to consider bringing in specifics to narrow the discussion. A. Do you believe the federal government should do more, the same, or less for the citizens of our country? Why? B. Considering the current number of amendments to the U.S. Constitution, the number of amendments that were proposed and failed, and the stability of our Constitution, do you believe the process for amending the U.S. Constitution is too difficult, just right, or too easy? Why? C. Which level of government federal, state, local, or a combination of the three do you believe is best able to protect the liberty, equality, and rights of all its citizens? Why? D. Do you think more or less people would vote if there were more viable political parties (perhaps three to five more) instead of the two main parties the U.S. currently has, or would voting levels remain the same? Why? E. Do you believe there should be term limits for members of Congress? Why or why not? Also, when composing the document, use these guidelines: Students papers should be 500 to 600 words long, but no more than two pages, double-spaced (5 pts.). Use 12-point (1 pt.) Times New Roman font (1 pt.). Measure margins 1 from the left, right, top, and bottom of the page (1 pt.), and justified to the left (1pt.). Electronically submit the paper as a Word document (5 pts.) under the classs course menu in the Assignments link in WebCampus by 11:59 pm on the day its due. The essay should be well written using appropriate paragraphing, complete sentences, proper grammar, punctuation and syntax, and contain no spelling errors. In other words, proofread the essay before submitting it (6pts).
