13 Apr Political Science Analytical Paper Information
Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to engage in critical thinking and analysis to produce a scholarly argument addressing the connection between key thinkers in this course and contemporary political concerns. Each student is required to write a paper of 6 pages that discusses the relationship between key thinkers and ideas from this class and contemporary political concerns. Suggested prompts are included below. You are expected to choose only ONE of the prompts listed. Don’t like what you see? Email me with your own idea so we can discuss if it is appropriate for this assignment. If you are planning on using an alternative topic you must email me for approval prior to starting your paper.
Paper Prompt Suggestions: – Examine the development of the notion of government by social contract in the writings of
Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau. What differences exist between the ways these thinkers conceive of the social contract? Does the notion of government by social contract make sense in today’s world, and if so, what is the best social contract that can be achieved? Be sure to include contemporary examples in your discussion.
– Philosophers since Plato have pointed out problems with democracy. What are the problems facing democracy and how might these problems be overcome? What are the keys to democracy? Be sure to include specific examples from philosophers as well as contemporary examples in your discussion.
– Political philosophers throughout history have explored the purpose and function of government, offering various perspectives on its role in society. Select two influential political philosophers from this course with different theories (ex. Machiavelli and Locke, Plato and Rousseau, Marx and Hayek, etc.) and examine their ideas regarding the purpose and function of government. Then compare these ideas through a current political concern. How do their theories help us understand the nature of this issue and formulate potential solutions?
– Machiavelli’s ideas about governance are arguably some of the most famous, and most misunderstood, in political philosophy. Analyze Machiavelli’s concept of political power, ethics, and the role of the ruler in maintaining stability and order, and compare his ideas with another political philosopher (e.g. Rousseau, Locke, etc.) who has a different interpretation of the nature of authority and the relationship between ruler and citizen. How are their ideas reflected in governance today? Be sure to include contemporary examples in your discussion.
Your paper should include a discussion of the basic concepts and understanding of the particular thinkers and issue(s) being addressed in the prompt, a connection to contemporary example(s), and your own thoughtful analysis. You should not incorporate thinkers and/or readings that we have not discussed in class.
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Audience: Non-expert peers in the academic community. This audience requires a formal tone; write as though you were going to submit this paper to an academic journal for publishing.
– A formal tone is polite, but impersonal, objective, organized, and logical. – A formal tone does not use colloquialisms, contractions, hyperbole, adjectives and
expressive language, or first and second person pronouns such as ‘I’, ‘we’, and ‘you’.
Format and Criteria: You must adhere to the format of the paper as described below. Failure to do so will result in point deductions. – 6 pages (increasing the length of your paper will not increase the grade of your paper)
o Double spaced, Times New Roman 12pt font, one-inch margins, page numbers o Footnotes, bibliography, illustrations, graphs, charts, and tables do not count towards the
overall page count – Minimum of 6 sources – 3 MUST be academic sources; You MUST use AT LEAST 1 primary source
for EACH philosopher you discuss o Academic sources have been vetted by other peers in the field, provide data AND analysis,
contain citations, and are published in an academic journal, or by a University’s publisher Cook Library should be your premiere destination for academic sources. Limit
your search criteria to peer reviewed results to easily find academic sources o Primary sources of the thinker(s) you choose are accessible on our Blackboard page o Other valuable sources include:
reputable news sites that have an established commitment to journalistic standards (e.g. New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, etc.)
• avoid pop media news sources (e.g. Buzzfeed, Vox, etc.) government websites that end with .gov or .org
o Avoid Wikipedia, encyclopedia websites, dictionary websites, personal blogs, opinion pieces, and any sources that are recreational rather than educational
– Chicago Style: Notes-Bibliography format is required. This format uses footnotes throughout your paper and an alphabetical bibliography of your sources at the end
o There are a number of resources about Chicago Style on our Blackboard page in the Chicago Style Resources Folder in the Syllabus/Course Documents section
o Cook Library also has a wealth of resources to help with proper citing in this format: https://towson.libguides.com/chicagonotesbibliography
o Failure to properly cite others’ work, assigned or otherwise, constitutes plagiarism. o For detailed explanations of plagiarism and its penalties for this course, see the Citations
and Plagiarism Guide in the Syllabus/Course Documents section of our Blackboard page
All students should make use of the Writing Center (located on the 5th floor of our building). It is an excellent resource, and offers a variety of different appointment experiences. For more information, visit their website: https://www.towson.edu/cla/centers/writing/
Grading Rubric: You will earn a grade for the following components. The average of all 5 will determine the overall grade for this assignment.
1. Organization 2. Quality of evidence used (sources) 3. Quality of connection between contemporary issue and thinker 4. Quality of analysis (claims/analysis/evidence) 5. Clarity/quality of writing
https://towson.libguides.com/chicagonotesbibliography
https://www.towson.edu/cla/centers/writing/
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Important Due Dates:
– February 27 – 1st Scaffold Assignment for Paper (complete the online assignment by end of day)
– March 13 – 2nd Scaffold Assignment for Paper (complete the online assignment by end of day)
– April 10 – 3rd Scaffold Assignment for Paper (complete the online assignment by end of day)
– April 24 – Analytical Paper Due (Upload to Blackboard by the end of the day)
Late papers are subject to a penalty of 10 points per day. See the Syllabus for a detailed explanation of the late policy.
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