Transcript Term Paper: Political Science 102

Term Paper: Political
Science 102
Details
 Due Date: Tuesday July 28th at the beginning of class
 Late assignments:
 Assignments will be accepted via email until Aug 4th
 10% Penalty per day to a maximum penalty of 40%
 Extensions
 Illness requires doctors note
 Extensions can be discussed up to 48 hours in advance (please be
honest with yourself about whether you’re going to be able to finish
on time).
 Written permission (either on paper or via email) will be provided.
Please submit with your assignment.
Details Cont…
 Length: 5 – 6 pages. A little (not a lot, but a little) shorter or
longer is acceptable.
 Formatting: Times New Roman 12 or Calibri 11 font is
required.
 Assignment MUST be typed.
 Standard 1-inch margins
Expectations
 It is expected that submissions be polished.
 No rough drafts, proof read
 Try to finish at least a day in advance, proof reading will be more
effective
 Ensure Papers are on topic
 This is an argumentative paper – you should be making an
argument
 A research question, thesis, introduction and conclusion are all
required.
Requirements
 Citations are required and are expected to be accurate, both
in-text and in works-cited list.
 Please use MLA formatting (which I’ll go over). The library
has posted a guide to MLA citations. I will post an additional
one.
 A minimum of 4 scholarly sources is required. Failure to meet
this requirement may result in failure of the assignment.
 A marking rubric will be provided to you later in term
Helpful(ish) Hints
 If you’re unsure how to start, refer back to page 43 in your
textbook
 I will be posting a “how to write a comparative paper” document
later in term
 Start by identifying a state that you’re interested in studying (…it
may not be a bad idea to begin with whatever state that you’ve
presented on in class).
 Always remember to compare and to understand cause and
effect – why are these states similar or different.
Research Design
 Requirement: Please use either a Most Similar Systems
Design or a Most Different Systems Design
 Refer back to Ch 1 of your book, or the slides from chapter 1
 You may also ask me if you’ve forgotten
 Optional: You may apply one of the theories that we cover in
class
Broad Topics (you’re going to have
to identify a research question)
1. Compare and contrast state intervention in the economy in
Anglo-Saxon states, Scandinavian states and/or
continental European states
2. Compare democratization in Eastern European states in
the post-communist era and South American states
3. Compare and contrast economic development in East or
south Asian states and South American states
More Topics
4. Compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses of a
federal state (like Canada or the US) and a unitary state (like
the UK or France – there’s lots more of both)
5. Compare and contrast democratic breakdown (or success)
in a Southern African state and a Northern African or Middle
Eastern state
6. Compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses of a
presidential system and a parliamentary system or mixed
system
Even More Topics
7. Compare and contrast different electoral systems
8. Consider inequality between the sexes in North America and
Northern Europe, or Central American states and African states
9. Compare and contrast the attitudes in global politics between
states in the global north and the global south (focusing on
Marxist, Liberal or Realist international theory – we’ll talk about it)
10. Compare and contrast the emergence of national identity in
Asian states with those in Southern Europe, South America or
Africa