Assignment: Industrialization and the Rise of a Regulated Economy
For History 105: Dr. Stansbury's classes (7 pages here)
Watch announcements, emails, and postings for exact dates and any holiday notes that sometimes arise.
[NOTE ON ECREE: As you know from our first paper, the university is adopting a tool, called ecree for doing writing assignments in many classes. We are using the ecree program for doing our papers in this class. Instructions on this tool have been posted. You are welcome to type your paper in MS-Word as traditionally done-and then to upload that file to ecree to revise and finish it up. Or, as we suggest, you may type your paper directly into ecree. When using ecree, you should use CHROME as your browser. As posted: "Please note that ecree works best in Firefox and Chrome. Please do not use Internet Explorer or mobile devices when using ecree."]
BACKGROUND FOR THE PAPER: The United States went through dramatic economic change during and after the Civil War, as industrialization spread rapidly and changed society. This transformation and some of the apparent abuses that developed (monopolistic practices, work conditions, low wages, arbitrary and oppressive expectations) led to an increased role of the government in regulating businesses and society. Government might intervene on the side of business owners for a variety of reasons. Or it might intervene on the side of workers. Or it might intervene for more general reasons. This role was heightened as government was viewed as the arbiter between business and organized labor. One can explore these developments from 1865 on through to the end of the 1930s. Examine the statement below and drawing from provided sources, present a paper with specific examples and arguments to demonstrate the validity of your position.
Topic and Thesis Statement-choose one of the following as your Thesis Statement:
THESIS STATEMENT 1. From the late 1800s to the end of the 1930s, increasing government interventions and regulations of business tended to help the overall economy and the common workers.
THESIS STATEMENT 2. From the late 1800s to the end of the 1930s, increasing government interventions and regulations of business tended to hurt the overall economy and the common workers.
· Plan to make that thesis statement the last sentence in your introductory paragraph. The general subject is government economic interventions and regulations in that period of history. You may moderate the wording slightly to fit more precisely the position you wish to take. This is NOT a simple statement of a topic; it is a statement of a position you are taking about that topic. p.s.-Valid arguments and "A" papers can be made with either thesis. So, you choose the one you think is the stronger position.
After giving general consideration to your readings so far and any general research, select one of the positions above as your position-your thesis. (Sometimes after doing more thorough research, you might choose the reverse position. This happens with critical thinking and inquiry. Your final paper might end up taking a different position than you originally envisioned.) Organize your paper as follows, handling these issues with this FOUR-PART organization (see FORMAT SAMPLE PAPER also):
Part One-one paragraph. INTRODUCTION AND THESIS STATEMENT. The position you choose will be the thesis statement in your opening paragraph; make it the last sentence of the paragraph.
Part Two-two paragraphs normally. FOUR EXAMPLES. To support your thesis, use four specific examples from different decades between 1865 and 1940. However, one of your four examples must be from the 1930s. The examples should be specific and clearly support your thesis. These should be examples of actual government intervention (not just the hope for it). In these paragraphs one generally must have in-text citations to support your specific examples and to show where the information was found. Spread out the examples-different decades. Make the examples SPECIFIC. The FORMAT SAMPLE paper can also help on this part.
Part Three-one paragraph normally. DEALING WITH THE OPPOSING VIEW. Identify the opposing view and explain why the opposing view is weak in comparison to yours. No new research needed; just one paragraph of critical thinking suggesting why your thesis/position is stronger than a different view. Approach it this way: You adopted a thesis statement. The opposing view is the thesis statement you did NOT adopt. You might start this paragraph by saying "Some may disagree with my thesis and argue that ------- ." THEN-you spend 3 or 4 sentences giving a reasoned argument why your thesis is stronger than the opposing view.
Part Four-one paragraph: LEGACY TODAY AND CONCLUSION: Consider your life and work today in relation to issues of government involvement and regulation of business and the economy. Also consider your major. Many of these types of government economic programs, laws, and regulations from this period became a normative part of our economic structure. In what way does the history you have shown shape or impact issues in your workplace or desired profession? This will work as the conclusion paragraph. Be succinct. Keep your thesis in mind. The FORMAT SAMPLE paper has good suggestions for this part also.
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.