{ psci362 }
political ideologies
You are responsible for one term paper this semester. The paper should be approximately 10 pages (double-spaced) in length. You may use any standard citation format (e.g. Chicago, MLA, APA) as long as you use it consitently. The paper is due no later than 12 November.
The paper's topic involves the 11 September attacks and the ensuing political developments that followed. You are free to pursue this topic in any direction you choose, as long as you do three things.
First, demonstrate that you understand what an ideology is. This part of the paper can easily serve as your introductution and should not be very long. Basically, give a solid definition of ideology and how it fits into the rest of your paper.
Second, pick any two different ideologies. Interpret the 11 September attacks from the perspective of each of the two ideologies you have chosen. How would a fascist interpret the events? What would a Marxist argue was the cause for the 11 September attack? How would a liberal pursue policy after 11 September? Use the authors from the reader (blue book) to support your claims. You can also pursue other sources if necessary, but you should be able to do a fairly good job using the texts you have read for this class.
Third, critically evaluate how well each of the two ideologies you selected interpret the political situation and how feasable, realistic, or effective their proposed solutions might be. Essentially, this will be the concluding section of your paper (about 1-2 pages).
Keep in mind that you do not have to pick an ideology you agree with. And I will not be grading on the basis of whether you pick the “correct” ideology or not. Rather, I will grade you on how accurately you represent each ideology. Each ideology has its own strengths and weaknesses; your critical examination should demonstrate that you are familiar with them. Feel free to introduce arguments from other ideological standpoints in your critical examination. For example, if you are writing about fascism and Marxism, feel free to use liberal arguments in your critical examination of how well the other two ideologies interpret 11 September and the ensuing events.
Do not write a history of the 11 September attack. Assume that your audience is familiar with the events (the attacks themselves, the military action in Afghanistan, etc.). If and when you bring things up, assume that your audience is familiar with them; feel free to reference them in a passing manner.
It should be obvious that you must use a standard, 12-point font (e.g. Times New Roman, Helvetica, Palatino). The paper must be typed, with one inch margins. Include a reference list of any works you cite. As always, see me if you have any questions.
Give yourself plenty of time to write a solid paper. Make detailed outlines and write at least two rough drafts, giving yourself time to revise them.
Be sure to proofread your paper for grammatical mistakes and spelling errors. If you are using Microsoft Word, use the grammar and spelling checker. Also, read your drafts over carefully; the computer is never as good as the human mind.
Write in a concise, clear style. Beyond grammar, good style is also important. Writing well allows your reader to better understand you; it also makes your writing flow and seem more polished and prepared. Perhaps the best style manual available is The Elements of Style by Strunk and White. It's available pretty much anywhere and will help improve your writing.
Watch out for these common style mistakes:
• Run-on sentences
• Use of homonymns (e.g. site/sight/cite, affect/effect)
• Colloquial phrases
• Use of passive tense verbs
• Inconsistent use of pronounts or tenses
• Unecessary wordiness
Look over your paragraph structure. Make sure each sentence in the paragraph follows the same main idea; if not, break the paragraph up. Writing a detailed outline will help eliminate this problem.
Read over your paper and make sure that it flows; there should be no unecessary words, phrases, or paragraphs.
Write a strong introduction. It should introduce your main points and let the reader know what to expect in the upcoming pages. An introduction should be no longer than 1-2 pages.
Write a concise conclusion. It should once again highlight your main points. A conclusion is very similar to the introduction in structure (but not necessarily in content). This should also be no longer than 1-2 pages.
Be careful how you cite sources. Do not use extensively long quotes in your paper; your paper is too short to have paragraph length quotes. When possible, paraphrase your source. Cite your sources properly (refer to a citation manual for help). Use direct quotes only when you need to use the exact words of an important source. Don't use quotes to state things you could paraphrase. Some references that are considered "common knowledge" probably don't require citation.
Finally, using outside sources (things other than the textbook) will probably be useful, though not required. I would highly recommend websites that represent a specific ideological position. Many of these gave their side of the 11 September attacks openly; those will be the most useful.
You are responsible for making yourself aware of and understanding the policies and procedures in the Undergraduate (pp 271-272) or Graduate (pp 24-26) Catalogs pertaining to Academic Integrity. These policies include cheating, fabrication and forgery, multiple submissions, plagiarism, complicity, and computer misuse. If there is reason to believe that you have been involved in academic dishonesty, you will be referred to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs. You will be given the opportunity to review the charge(s). If you believe you are not responsible, you will have the opportunity for a hearing. You should consult with me if you are uncertain about an issue of academic honesty prior to the submission of an assignment or test.