American Government Assignment: Public Event Paper

Assignment Overview:

The public event paper assignment requires you to go beyond your typical role as a student and step out as an ‘active citizen' in the public realm. You will attend a ‘public meeting' of an elected body or a political action/activity and write a 4-5-page response paper about the meeting/activity that you attended. Your paper should be proofread, have a title, be double spaced and written in your own words. Papers must be turned in during class in hard copy format. Late papers will lose half a letter grade for each class meeting late. Papers found to be plagiarized in part or in full will receive a grade of zero.

Instructions:

Attend a ‘public meeting' of an elected body or a political action/activity. Address the following in your paper:

a. Descriptive evaluation: Describe the meeting/activity that you attended. What did you see and hear? Did you participate? If yes, what did you do or say?

b. Personal reflection: What was your reaction to the meeting/activity? How did the event apply to you?

c. Analytical evaluation: Evaluate whether the meeting/activity that you attended exemplified ‘good governance.'? Why or why not? In other words, did the manner in which the event was conducted exemplify democratic values? Also consider in your evaluation whether or not your event supported or subverted American democracy.

There are many definitions of good governance and debate over what it entails. Overall, this concept relates to how public affairs are conducted. Good governance is characterized by participation, transparency, accountability, rule of law, effectiveness, and equity.

(Note - Your evaluation regarding the question of good governance should be the heart of your paper. Make sure to include a summary of your evaluation in the first paragraph of the paper - your thesis - and develop your evaluation in the body of the paper.)

d. Scan and include a copy of handouts of the meeting/ event if possible (e.g. agenda).