Mohawk High School KAP - Political Science 200: Liberal Democracy in America
Major Paper Requirements, 2014 - 2015
You must write two major papers, one due toward the end of each semester; additionally, you must compose a reflective essay documenting your political/civic service experience. You do not have to submit a preliminary draft, but you will have no opportunity to revise your work if you do not. First drafts are due no later than two weeks prior to the final submission deadline; you may submit your work earlier for more considered and detailed advice on revisions.
Major Paper No.1: You may choose either of the following themes:
A. PROMPT: The Declaration of Independence asserts that "all men are created equal." The Founders asserted their devotion to that principle, but many critics express doubts, pointing to slavery, a variety of features in the articles of the Constitution including the electoral College, and many writings in the Federalist Papers to argue that the Founders were elitists. Were they elitists? Were they egalitarians? TASK: Write a research paper of four or five pages that argues for or against the Founders' idea of equality which addresses the aforementioned issues, as well as any others which as necessary to prove your point. Your paper will need to cite from the Federalist Papers as well as your summer reading and at least two other sources, regardless of how you answer the question. You must follow Chicago format (bibliography). An example of an end-notes style paper may be found here, except that we use Arial-11, not TNR-12; and here is a short example of what such a paper looks like using footnotes instead of endnotes.
B. PROMPT: One of the concerns of Enlightenment thinking was exactly what it meant to be human, and the Founding Fathers - particularly Madison - were serious students of this problem. Human beings, while God's creation, were condemned to "original sin," and seemed to be an admixture of both good and evil. The problem in writing a constitution was, in part, how best to control the worst aspects of human nature while preserving the best aspects. TASK: In an essay of four or five pages, discuss how the Founders' understanding of human nature and good government is reflected in the character of the Constitution they wrote. Show how two institutions or aspects of the Constitution reflect their thinking about good government. be sure to provide specific illustrations from the Constitution, your summer reading, and at least three Federalist papers. Your paper will need to cite from the Federalist Papers, your summer reading and at least two other sources, regardless of how you answer the question. You must follow Chicago format (bibliography). An example may be found here, except that we use Arial-11, not TNR-12.
C. PROMPT: What if one of the Framers could somehow be brought back from the past into the present? What might they think of our republic? Would they want to return to their own time and make some changes to the Constitution? TASK: In an essay of four or five pages, make a research-based and well-reasoned prediction of how Hamilton, Madison or Jay might have reacted to today’s American regime. The range of speculation is open-ended, but must be well-supported from the readings and other research. The paper should be written from a first-person perspective, assuming the persona of one of the three federalist authors. Your paper will need to cite from the Federalist Papers, your summer reading, and at least two other sources. You must follow Chicago format (bibliography). An example may be found here, except that we use Arial-11, not TNR-12.
D. PROMPT: The Founding fathers were surely concerned with developing an improved version of democracy which could effectively achieve national goals, but they also had something even more fundamental on their minds: establishing a stable, legitimate government. They arrived in Philadelphia contemplating the problem of writing any constitution as the fundamental law of the nation. The Founders had supported and led a revolution which overthrew the established order, but they, as good Lockeans, were strong advocates of stability and a "rule-of-law society." The Founders believed that governmental authority was fragile, and that the authority of a democratic government was especially fragile. They were advocates of the importance of constitutional government, but they thought that it was very difficult to design a good constitution. TASK: Write an essay of four to six pages about their thinking about constitutions and the inherent difficulty of writing a good one. Make sure that you include some consideration of why they thought governing was difficult. How did their Constitution reflect their beliefs about the difficulty of governing? Why is governmental authority fragile? What does it take to establish legitimate government? Which two or three Federalist essays are most useful in helping to understand their thinking about the challenge of establishing stable, authoritative government?
Political/Civic Service Reflection: This is a 4 - 5 page reflection of your political service experience. What did you do? What happened? What did you learn from your experience? How is your experience reflected in the course readings? Consider all the various activities in which you participated.
Major Paper No. 2: Choose one of the following prompts with which to compose a six- to seven-page, fully cited (Chicago bibliographic style), research-deep paper:
A. Tocqueville devoted much of his time and energy to writing about the people he saw in this nation during his stay in the 1830's. Would Tocqueville argue that American democracy had its roots in Philadelphia in 1776, or at Plymouth Rock in 1620? What could this possibly say about his attitude towards the people of this country relative to the Founders and their push for "energy" in government? Are there two ideas of the average American citizen directly opposed to one another, or similar? What about the Founders' idea of "energetic" government... would Tocqueville agree with them on this point? Your summer reading, particularly with regard to Hamilton, might give you a place to begin your considerations.
B. How would the authors of the Federalist Papers view Mayhew's model of congressional behavior? Would they be shocked and horrified at what Congress has become, or would their views of human nature and legislative behavior coincide with Mayhew's? What might they agree with or admire in his model?
C. Neustadt argues that the Constitution places the president in an impossible position: it doesn't provide him with the necessary powers to fulfill the responsibilities of his job. What does Neustadt point to as hindering the exercise of presidential power? How can presidents overcome the weakness that he sees in the Constitution? How would the authors of the Federalist Papers respond to his claims?
D. If you could change anything about our regime, what would it be? What is the origin and nature of the problem? What are the root and evolutionary causes? What is your proposed solution (in detail)? Why this solution? What are the probable outcomes of your solution? This theme lends itself well to “man-in-the-street” interviews and surveys to gauge understanding of and appreciation for (or not) the regime and the nation in general. What do other people want to change, if anything? How much do those people understand about the Founders’ intent?
E. What is the state of party politics today? How would you define and categorize the two major parties? What would the founders have said about our current party system? Will party politics be the destruction of the republic, or are they the tape that holds our republic together? What is the likelihood that a third party will succeed in capturing the White House any time soon? These are just some of the possible paths this topic might follow.
F. What would Tocqueville have to say about the modern American regime? Which of his predictions seem to have come to pass, and what is your evidence? Where did he go wrong, and why?
G. Do you agree with Hamilton that the judiciary is the "least dangerous branch"? Do you agree with Agresto in his warnings about the Court? What is your evidence? What would you do about it? Why would you choose that particular solution over another?
A note on writing: If you expect a good grade, you must produce well-written, carefully edited, grammatically and syntactically sound and extensively cited work that is academically viable at a collegiate level. Theoretically, based on your previous English Language arts grades, you all can write well. If you have doubts about that, ask your English teacher for assistance (Here is a guide to writing good political science essays and papers). Papers must adhere to Chicago-style citation rules with footnotes and a properly prepared bibliography. When citing, refer to the original text whenever possible, not sources quoted in other sources. WARNING: If you use more than five consecutive words that someone else wrote without citing indirectly or directly, you are a plagiarist.
CHECK YOUR SYLLABUS FOR DUE DATES!
Major Paper Requirements, 2014 - 2015
You must write two major papers, one due toward the end of each semester; additionally, you must compose a reflective essay documenting your political/civic service experience. You do not have to submit a preliminary draft, but you will have no opportunity to revise your work if you do not. First drafts are due no later than two weeks prior to the final submission deadline; you may submit your work earlier for more considered and detailed advice on revisions.
Major Paper No.1: You may choose either of the following themes:
A. PROMPT: The Declaration of Independence asserts that "all men are created equal." The Founders asserted their devotion to that principle, but many critics express doubts, pointing to slavery, a variety of features in the articles of the Constitution including the electoral College, and many writings in the Federalist Papers to argue that the Founders were elitists. Were they elitists? Were they egalitarians? TASK: Write a research paper of four or five pages that argues for or against the Founders' idea of equality which addresses the aforementioned issues, as well as any others which as necessary to prove your point. Your paper will need to cite from the Federalist Papers as well as your summer reading and at least two other sources, regardless of how you answer the question. You must follow Chicago format (bibliography). An example of an end-notes style paper may be found here, except that we use Arial-11, not TNR-12; and here is a short example of what such a paper looks like using footnotes instead of endnotes.
B. PROMPT: One of the concerns of Enlightenment thinking was exactly what it meant to be human, and the Founding Fathers - particularly Madison - were serious students of this problem. Human beings, while God's creation, were condemned to "original sin," and seemed to be an admixture of both good and evil. The problem in writing a constitution was, in part, how best to control the worst aspects of human nature while preserving the best aspects. TASK: In an essay of four or five pages, discuss how the Founders' understanding of human nature and good government is reflected in the character of the Constitution they wrote. Show how two institutions or aspects of the Constitution reflect their thinking about good government. be sure to provide specific illustrations from the Constitution, your summer reading, and at least three Federalist papers. Your paper will need to cite from the Federalist Papers, your summer reading and at least two other sources, regardless of how you answer the question. You must follow Chicago format (bibliography). An example may be found here, except that we use Arial-11, not TNR-12.
C. PROMPT: What if one of the Framers could somehow be brought back from the past into the present? What might they think of our republic? Would they want to return to their own time and make some changes to the Constitution? TASK: In an essay of four or five pages, make a research-based and well-reasoned prediction of how Hamilton, Madison or Jay might have reacted to today’s American regime. The range of speculation is open-ended, but must be well-supported from the readings and other research. The paper should be written from a first-person perspective, assuming the persona of one of the three federalist authors. Your paper will need to cite from the Federalist Papers, your summer reading, and at least two other sources. You must follow Chicago format (bibliography). An example may be found here, except that we use Arial-11, not TNR-12.
D. PROMPT: The Founding fathers were surely concerned with developing an improved version of democracy which could effectively achieve national goals, but they also had something even more fundamental on their minds: establishing a stable, legitimate government. They arrived in Philadelphia contemplating the problem of writing any constitution as the fundamental law of the nation. The Founders had supported and led a revolution which overthrew the established order, but they, as good Lockeans, were strong advocates of stability and a "rule-of-law society." The Founders believed that governmental authority was fragile, and that the authority of a democratic government was especially fragile. They were advocates of the importance of constitutional government, but they thought that it was very difficult to design a good constitution. TASK: Write an essay of four to six pages about their thinking about constitutions and the inherent difficulty of writing a good one. Make sure that you include some consideration of why they thought governing was difficult. How did their Constitution reflect their beliefs about the difficulty of governing? Why is governmental authority fragile? What does it take to establish legitimate government? Which two or three Federalist essays are most useful in helping to understand their thinking about the challenge of establishing stable, authoritative government?
Political/Civic Service Reflection: This is a 4 - 5 page reflection of your political service experience. What did you do? What happened? What did you learn from your experience? How is your experience reflected in the course readings? Consider all the various activities in which you participated.
Major Paper No. 2: Choose one of the following prompts with which to compose a six- to seven-page, fully cited (Chicago bibliographic style), research-deep paper:
A. Tocqueville devoted much of his time and energy to writing about the people he saw in this nation during his stay in the 1830's. Would Tocqueville argue that American democracy had its roots in Philadelphia in 1776, or at Plymouth Rock in 1620? What could this possibly say about his attitude towards the people of this country relative to the Founders and their push for "energy" in government? Are there two ideas of the average American citizen directly opposed to one another, or similar? What about the Founders' idea of "energetic" government... would Tocqueville agree with them on this point? Your summer reading, particularly with regard to Hamilton, might give you a place to begin your considerations.
B. How would the authors of the Federalist Papers view Mayhew's model of congressional behavior? Would they be shocked and horrified at what Congress has become, or would their views of human nature and legislative behavior coincide with Mayhew's? What might they agree with or admire in his model?
C. Neustadt argues that the Constitution places the president in an impossible position: it doesn't provide him with the necessary powers to fulfill the responsibilities of his job. What does Neustadt point to as hindering the exercise of presidential power? How can presidents overcome the weakness that he sees in the Constitution? How would the authors of the Federalist Papers respond to his claims?
D. If you could change anything about our regime, what would it be? What is the origin and nature of the problem? What are the root and evolutionary causes? What is your proposed solution (in detail)? Why this solution? What are the probable outcomes of your solution? This theme lends itself well to “man-in-the-street” interviews and surveys to gauge understanding of and appreciation for (or not) the regime and the nation in general. What do other people want to change, if anything? How much do those people understand about the Founders’ intent?
E. What is the state of party politics today? How would you define and categorize the two major parties? What would the founders have said about our current party system? Will party politics be the destruction of the republic, or are they the tape that holds our republic together? What is the likelihood that a third party will succeed in capturing the White House any time soon? These are just some of the possible paths this topic might follow.
F. What would Tocqueville have to say about the modern American regime? Which of his predictions seem to have come to pass, and what is your evidence? Where did he go wrong, and why?
G. Do you agree with Hamilton that the judiciary is the "least dangerous branch"? Do you agree with Agresto in his warnings about the Court? What is your evidence? What would you do about it? Why would you choose that particular solution over another?
A note on writing: If you expect a good grade, you must produce well-written, carefully edited, grammatically and syntactically sound and extensively cited work that is academically viable at a collegiate level. Theoretically, based on your previous English Language arts grades, you all can write well. If you have doubts about that, ask your English teacher for assistance (Here is a guide to writing good political science essays and papers). Papers must adhere to Chicago-style citation rules with footnotes and a properly prepared bibliography. When citing, refer to the original text whenever possible, not sources quoted in other sources. WARNING: If you use more than five consecutive words that someone else wrote without citing indirectly or directly, you are a plagiarist.
CHECK YOUR SYLLABUS FOR DUE DATES!