Assignment:
Essay: Founding a new nation
Write an essay of at least four full pages, typewritten, double-spaced, 12-point type, standard margins. No cover page. No folder or cover.
At the top of the first page, type only one line, at the left margin:
Your Name. POS 2041, Spring 2019, Island
Do not write a title. Skip one single-spaced line; then begin the text. Staple the pages, upper left.
PREMISE: An undersea earthquake has created a new island in the Atlantic Ocean, about 200 miles east of Miami. It is about the size of Key Biscayne, and its mild climate supports an abundance of tropical trees, thick forests, naturally growing fruit and sand beaches, as well as plentiful fish in the surrounding waters.
You are among 10,000 people chosen to sail to this newly discovered island to make a new life and start a new nation, independent of the United States. (Many thousands more wanted to go, but you and your family, if you have one, were among the relatively few selected.)
On the way, before your ship reaches the island, you and your companions must complete the structure and functions of a new nation. Otherwise, the arrival could be chaotic - "every man for himself," with the strongest ones prevailing. You might also want to name your new nation.
PROJECT: All of you agree that you will create a democracy. What kind of democracy, though, is up to the settlers. What do you propose? And what name do you want for your new nation?
Since the group must draft a constitution for the new nation, what do you recommend? You may refer to the U.S. Constitution for guidance - it begins on Page All of your textbook - but consider that a constitution written in 1787 for a new nation of 13 states and several million people might not be exactly appropriate in 2019 for a tiny island nation of only 10,000 people. (An existing country with similar size and population is the Republic of Nauru, near Australia.)
Do not propose "amendments." Amendments are changes to an already existing document, but you are creating an original constitution that does not exist yet, so it cannot be amended. Whatever you want to include should be in your original constitution.
Of course, a constitution is supposed to provide a broad framework. Laws must follow. What laws would be most important? Textbook chapters can guide you In figuring this out.
What functions must your new government perform, and what bureaucracy should be created to perform them? Should the functions and bureaucracy be patterned after the U.S. national government or after U.S. state or local governments? Or is a completely different model preferable? How should your government be structured and organized to carry out those functions? (Remember: You have limited human resources in a population of only 10,000, which includes adults and children. Your new nation will grow slowly over time.)
CAUTION: Resist the temptation to propose grandiose plans such as skyscrapers, jet airport, seaport, railroad, huge government buildings, factories, big army, navy, air force, et cetera.
This is a small island with only the land area and population to match Key Biscayne - and it lacks the financial and economic resources that Key Biscayne has. Begin modestly, appropriately and with a serious Intent.
Also, do not invent fictional discussions among settlers or predict what kind of life you will all have. Limit yourself to creating a system of governance that makes policies and implements them, as well as a system of politics that determines who will control that government.
NO JOKE: This assignment is not intended as a joke and will not be evaluated as such.
CLARIFICATIONS: Follow the format instructions carefully. Also, pay attention to proper English. Persuasive writing cannot persuade if it is riddled with errors of grammar, spelling, punctuation, usage and sentence structure. If you are challenged in this regard, let's discuss it in advance.
DON'T: Do not write the text of a new constitution. Just explain what you would include in a new constitution, and summarize any laws or regulations you would propose to carry out the mandates of the constitution.
In addition to consulting the U.S. Constitution, you might want to search the Internet for one or more state constitutions, especially if you decide to establish powers, institutions or policies that are more typical of the states than the federal government.
IN SUMMARY: You and your companions at sea are organizing a new society. What do you need to do to ensure that the society functions well, under law? The knowledge you are gaining about the structure, functions, policies and issues of American government should enable you to do some creative thinking about this.
Although the requirement is at least four full pages, you may write more than the minimum if that would result in a better paper.