Assignment

A6-3

1) CRITICAL ANALYSIS #2

Will be written during the second half of the term (Module 8, specifically), as identified on Course Syllabus).

You will write a comparative essay (1500 words) examining differences and/or likenesses between the perspectives on economic inequality provided by Paul Krugman in "Confronting Inequality" (pp. 561-80) and Gary Becker and Kevin Murphy in "The Upside of Income Inequality" (pp. 581-590).

Will follow the guidelines below in "Keys" A8-1 - A9-3 (a-c) and those in Announcements, Module 8. Note that the model essay in C2-4 is a guide to form only, and not to content, in that it deals with "Preventing Cyberbullying", while your comparison will be about the effects of economic inequality.

a) You will compare economic perspectives of your choice in the Krugman and Becker/Murphy essays, and do so in a 1500-word analysis. You may analyze likenesses, differences or both. You must quote a minimum of five times, total, from the two essays, in building your evidence.

Consider any of the fourteen questions below in building your comparative essay.

All are directly or indirectly discussed in the two essays you are comparing.

A6-4

Naturally, you are better advised to select few questions, rather than many, as a way of narrowing your focus. Your challenge is finding ways of unifying your discussion around these few questions to create an argumentative thesis that compares the differing perspectives on economic inequality offered by Krugman and Becker/Murphy, and then assembling sufficient evidence of the types identified in #5, #8, #9 in "Keys to Writing Excellent Critical Analysis #2, A8-1 - A9-3, to convince your reader of your argument's legitimacy.

Compare any of the points of view in the Krugman and Becker/Murphy essays related to the following questions:

1) Why should we care about economic inequality?

2) Can/should increased economic disparity in the U.S. be reversed?

3) Is there any question that broadened higher education opportunities for all citizens lessens economic inequality?

4) What is the role of education in altering the effects of economic inequality?

5) Is access to quality education available to all American citizens?

6) Should the qualifying process for mortgage applications be adjusted to lessen the likelihood of bankruptcies, given the importance of improved housing with its access to improved educational opportunities in lessening economic inequality?

7) Does the U.S. government have an obligation to produce a more educated society?

8) Should U.S. schools and colleges better evaluate and reward academic talent rather than family status in attempting to overcome economic inequality?

9) Should the state of American healthcare be improved to prevent talented but poor children from being further disadvantaged educationally?

10) If certain groups have benefited to a far greater or a far lesser extent educationally in the past 25 years, what can be done to equalize their progress?

11) Does economic inequality increase the power of the "top 1%" tocorrupt politicians whose votes can be bought by the "top 1%", making them unlikely to pass legislation that counters the effects of economic inequality?

12) How important has the breakdown in the American family been in determining educational inequality and, thus, economic inequality?

13) Would economic inequality and diminished educational opportunity be lessened under any of the following conditions encouraged by government:

a) a roll back of tax cuts for the wealthy?
b) increase of taxes on the middle class?
c) increase in the minimum wage?
d) strengthening of labor unions' rights?

14) If an educated society leads to "rising wages, productivity and living standards", identify the bestways of creating such a society.

b) For research techniques, see "Your Library Research Guide" (see C33-2) for its APA Style tab at the top of the home page. Or see the model Work Cited section in C2-4 (APA) or C10-3 (MLA).

For matters of Documentation, Stance and Style, expectations are dramatically diminished; you need only do your best. Our online course does not allow for the detailed instruction possible in in-class learning.

c)For Analysis #2, be guided in form by the C2-1 model essay, even though it is not comparative. Write 1500 words and 6 paragraphs (4 in the body instead of 3). Be guided in both form and subject by the Evaluation Forms(C5-1, C5-4, and C5-8). Also see model essay in C2-2 for guidance on form and style but not substance. C2-4 is a worthy model of persuasion, being a persuasive speech. Although not comparative and not related to the subject matter of your Analysis #2, it observes the same standards of clear reasoning and the uses of varied forms of evidence. C2-4 also incorporates the added dimension of scholarly research, as is required in your comparative Analysis #2.

Please follow carefully all Analysis #2 instructions, just above (A6-3 - A9-4) and in Announcements, Module 8. Since the standards in the "Essay Self-Evaluation Form" (C5-1), "Guidelines for Critical Writing" (C5-4), and the "Writing Checklist" (C5-8) will set the evaluation criteria, study them with care and apply them fully. To create an "A quality" essay, observe the standards underlined and starred in the marginal notes of C2-1 and C2-4.

A7-5

In particular, focus on "Keys to Writing Excellent Critical Analysis #2" (A8-1 - A9-4).

Keys to Writing Excellent Critical Analysis #2

1) Address the many requirements identified by underlining and starring in "Essay Self-Evaluation Form" (C5-1), "Guidelines for Critical Writing" (C5-4), and the "Writing Checklist" (C5-8) to write a 1,500-word comparative research analysis explained in #1-15 in this "Keys" discussion.

2) Insure your thesis possesses perceptiveness, with perceptiveness being defined as "departing from the obvious; or approaching the original". Perceptiveness of thesis can be present only if a critical consideration of the two essays you are comparing first occurs, so that the required critical analysis can result.

3) Insure your thesis contains the "four main points you plan to argue in your essay". These will be comparative topic sentences identifying likenesses or differences between the economic thinking of Krugman and Becker/Murphy related to any of the fourteen (14) focus questions presented in A7-1.

4) Begin body paragraphs with "proof points (i.e., topic sentences) to defend your thesis".

5) Provide evidence from the two essays, not unsubstantiated opinion upon unsubstantiated opinion. Three types of textual evidence are available: 1) direct quotations from the two essays; 2) references to the essays in student writer's own words; and 3) most important, inferences, i.e., efforts to read between the lines that try to answer the questions, "Why?" and "What Does This Mean?", in relation to the thinking of the essayists. Skillful use of evidence contributes 50 of the 110 points available for the essay. Avoid retelling of the essays' details. Instead, analyze; analyze; analyze.

6) As is specifically required, i.e., "directly quote from the two essays a minimum of five times, total.

7) Provide an introduction and a conclusion and follow the required form. See C30-3 for examples.

8) Use Persuasive Speech model C2-4 as a guide to the 3-part form (intro, body, conclusion) and to argumentative technique. C2-4 also provides direction for developing evidence through research and for documenting the research in a Works Cited section.

As your research component in this paper, please include in your comparative essay a minimum total of five direct quotations from the combined 28 pages of the two essays under comparison; a minimum of four direct quotation notes from two experts on the economy other than authors of the two essays you are comparing; and four notes from experts, but in your words, from two different experts, whose thinking supports your thesis. These experts can be found in the seven additional essays (excluding Krugman and Becker/Murphy that you're comparing) inthe They Say/I Say section, "What's Up with the American Dream"(pp. 539-637); in blogs in theysayiblog.com by Nobel-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz and many other writers; and by researching expert opinion outside of our text in online sources or in your college library. Document experts' contributions with Textnotes or Endnotes and with a Works Cited page that observes the APA or MLA Style format that is explained in S5-1. S5-1 will also provide direction on more general principles of writing.

9) Please be certain to directly quote a total minimum of five times from the two essays you are comparing in building your evidence. Use the same APA or MLA format in Textnotes or Endnotes and with the Works Cited page to document the use of these quotations.

10) See C10-3 and C10-4, respectively, for a literary model paper's Works Cited page (MLA style) and Notes taken by a student researcher that will find their way into a finished Critical Analysis. (Again, literary in nature. Follow only as a guide to form, not subject.)

Also see C10-2 for a model paper's use of textnotes on its first page (page references for notes in parenthesis; all textnotes are underlined and starred.

Finally, in C10-2, note the bracketed Topic Sentence #1 directly compares on its first page Willy and Amanda, characters in different plays. You will directly compare the thinking of the essayists Krugman and Becker/Murphy in each topic sentence of your Analysis #2. Be guided by their differing points of view related to any of the 14 questions provided in A7-1. Then provide evidence of the three types identified in A8-1, #5 to defend each topic sentence. After employing the available evidence from the two essays, then provide evidence from authoritative external sources, as stated in A8-1, #8.

To evaluate the quality of your comparison, examine it in relation to the underlined and otherwise highlighted standards in C5-1 and C5-4.
As a final guide to writing an "A quality" Analysis #2, review and address each standard underlined and starred in C5-8.

11) Do not use Wikipedia or any other on-line sources that fail to access experts in economic study (i.e., Individuals with demonstrated experience and expertise are essential.)

12) Avoid plagiarism at all cost. (See S4-5 - S4-6 and A12-2 - A12-3 for details on plagiarism and its penalties.)

Since the finished comparative paper is due online at our Blackboard site by Tuesday of the Final Week, you have some weeks to write and revise this paper.

13) Write and save to Word first, then copy to our BB site by the submission deadline.

14) You may, to benefit your writing process, use C2-4 in the Course Content Resources attachment (C) to gain additional direction in writing Analysis #2.

15) In your writing, be guided by the understanding in A10-4 - A10-5, and not by your perfectionism. Because detailed writing instruction is less available in a Blackboard learning experience, the evaluation standards will be reduced for this writing assignment.

Please follow carefully all Analysis #2 instruction just above (A6-3 - A9-3). Since the standards in C5-1, C5-4, and C5-8 will be the evaluative criteria, apply them with care. Be especially attentive to "Keys" in A8-1 - A9-3.

A maximum of 110 points can be earned for this essay. Thesis = 20 points; Four Proof Points = 25 points; Evidence from the two works = 50 points; Introduction and Conclusion = 15 points.

Assignments in the second half of the course,(Modules 5 - 10) include just above, Quizzes, (see A4-3 - A5-3) and just above, Critical Analysis #2 (see A6-3 - A9-3).