Research Paper Assignment
Before the U.S. Constitution was ratified, several of the Founding Fathers wrote papers arguing for certain provisions. These were published in newspapers as letters to the editor, and became known as the Federalist Papers. Imagine that there is a newly discovered paragraph in the Constitution that stipulates it must be re-ratified by July 4, 2019. Your assignment is to write a paper that advocates for a component of the American government. This component may already exist as a part of the current Constitution, or you may argue for its addition. You will draw on theoretical as well as practical reasons to make your case.
Functional Requirements:
• The paper must be 2 pages or less.
• It must have a 12-point font, be single-spaced, and have a space between each paragraph.
• It must have parenthetical citations or foot/endnotes, in addition to a works cited page.
o The works cited page does not count towards the page limit.
Resource Requirements:
• You must cite at least three sources other than the textbook.
o One of these sources must be the U.S. Constitution.
o You can cite the textbook, but it cannot count towards your three sources.
o Each citation must be from a reputable source: books, scholarly journals, etc. (Wikipedia is NOT a reputable source.)
Content Requirements:
• Your paper must have theoretical and practical arguments.
o You must have at least one major theoretical argument for the component of the Constitution for which you are arguing. In other words, what supports your argument that this component must be included? (For example, why is freedom of speech so essential? Or, why does the natural-born citizenship requirement no longer make sense for modern presidential candidates? Or, why might a unitary government serve U.S. citizens better?)
o You must provide at least two current or historical examples from other countries for why the component should be a part of the Constitution. Each example should contain an explanation of the issue or events, as well as analysis. Such examples might include elections in other countries; peaceful or violent transitions of power; cases of corruption, etc.
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 include 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.