American Government Essay

Topic: Unlike other advanced presidential democracies, the United States does not directly elect its chief executive. The election of the president is a seminal debate in American politics; in modern times, the Electoral College has come under increased scrutiny following the 2000 election which saw Democratic nominee Al Gore win the popular vote yet lose to Republican nominee George W. Bush. More recently, the Electoral College has been challenged by the emergence of the National Popular Vote (NPV) compact, which would require signatory states to award their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote regardless if that candidate won the popular vote within the state. (For example: Texas would have awarded its electoral votes in 2012 to Obama under NPV despite Obama losing the popular vote in Texas.) While critics argue the Electoral College is inherently anti-democratic, supporters are much more likely to argue that the Electoral College provides a necessary check on the masses (e.g. preventing a demagogue from being elected), while also challenging the notion that the presidential election is meant to be popular (i.e. directly elected by voters).

Directions: For this essay, you will compose a "position paper" on ONE of the following topics:

1. Defend the Electoral College; provide an argument justifying why the Electoral College is a necessary inclusion in the U.S. political system.
2. Revise the Electoral College; identify how you would "improve" the Electoral College to make it more democratic, etc.
3. Abolish/Replace the Electoral College; explain why and how you would replace the Electoral College with a "better" method.

Format: Your essay should take the form of a one-page (single-spaced) position paper. You will need to start with an introduction which includes your thesis statement. Good thesis statements clearly state to your reader the purpose of your essay. For example: if you believe the Electoral College is inherently anti-democratic, your thesis may be: "The Electoral College denies the people their basic, democratic right to choose who governs them; therefore, it should be abolished." Generally, your thesis statement will be the final sentence in your introduction.

Next, you will offer your rationale/proposal. It is expected that this section will be several paragraphs, where you rely extensively on outside sources and course concepts in justifying your position. This is the body of your position paper. While there is no definitive way to craft this section, you should make sure that your argument proceeds in a logical fashion. For instance: if you wish to keep the Electoral College, you may elect to arrange your body section as three paragraphs, each with a "reason" for keeping it.

Finally, you should include a conclusion which provides a summation of your position. This may, unlike a formal essay, be relatively brief (3-4 sentences) rather than a substantive restitution.

Your position paper should be:

1. Single-spaced;
2. 1-page MAXIMUM;
3. Time News Roman, 11-point or 12-point font;
4. Normal, 1-inch margins;
5. Cited correctly; and
6. Name placed at the beginning of the paper (preferably in the header).

Citations: Throughout your essay, it is expected that you will refer extensively to outside sources and/or course concepts discussed in lectures and readings. Given the space constraints, moreover, you should NOT rely on direct quotes; rather, you should paraphrase and synthesize information from your sources. Remember: citation is an important formatting technique which allows you to correctly attribute information/ideas/concepts which are not your own without plagiarizing. Whenever you use an idea which is not yours, you should cite where that idea came from.

While there are several ways to cite an author, for this assignment you can use either APA or APSA citation styles. Besides in-text citation, you should also include a list of references of every source you use in your essay at the end (this page does NOT count against your page limit). Again, each style can provide guidance as to how you construct a works cited/references page. If you are unfamiliar with any of these styles, you can consult the following sources:

**Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL): The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL for short) is a fantastic resource for paper writing. It contains graphical links and explanations for APA, Chicago, and MLA citation styles, while also including general guidance on how to write good papers (including grammar help). (Links are also posted on Blackboard under "Essays.")

**American Political Science Association (APSA) Manual of Style: If you wish to use the standard style used by political scientists, you can find an electronic copy of APSA's citation guide here. (A link is also posted on Blackboard.)

**WSU Writing Center: The Writing Center also offers assistance in composing and formatting essays, much like OWL above but with the added benefit of having a "live" person assisting you. The Writing Center is located in the Undergraduate Library, Room 2310. Visit their website to schedule an appointment, or call 313-577-2544 (a link is also posted on Blackboard). Regardless of your writing proficiency, the Writing Center is an invaluable resource which can take your writing to the next level!

**See Me: I am available to help with any component of this essay, especially proper citation style. Either visit during my office hours, email me, or otherwise schedule an appointment. Note: I cannot help with questions or drafts submitted within twenty-four hours of the deadline.

Grading: Your essay will be submitted on Blackboard via the SafeAssign feature, which will check against plagiarism. As I know that learning to cite requires practice, I will construe failure to cite liberally and use it as a learning opportunity. However, this does not mean I will overlook clear instances of cheating (e.g. copying another's work or "forgetting" to include an outside source in your works cited page). In grading your essay, I will use the following guidelines (50 points possible):

A: Provides a clear thesis statement, identifying the author's position regarding the Electoral College. Body section is detailed, logical, and creative. Evidence marshalled is cited correctly and used appropriately; the author does not use direct quotes but instead relies on synthesis and paraphrasing. Finally, the paper itself is written as grammatically pleasing, and in clear, concise language.

B: Has similar features as an "A" paper above, but may be somewhat less clear, substantively, in spots. Rationale is logical, but there may be areas that further evidence is needed. Author may fail to adequately synthesize materials and relies on one or two direct quotes. Grammatically, there may be some errors present, but they are minor, while the paper itself is written clearly.

C: Compared to "A" and "B" papers, "C" papers contain numerous substantive errors; do not have a clear thesis; nor provide sufficient, factual evidence. The writing may be unclear and contain errors which detract from the narrative, making the paper difficult to read.

D: In addition to some of the weaknesses of a "C" paper, the essay is marred by significant inaccuracies and/or is missing required elements.

F: Plagiarized in part or whole. Too short. Off-topic. Unreadable. Not turned in.