The major writing assignment consists of an essay of 1,500 to 1,750 words, or roughly six to seven double-spaced pages, not including the title page and references. This research essay should present and develop an argument the same as or similar to that posed in the annotated bibliography (if you change your thesis significantly between the annotated bibliography and the essay, discuss this with your tutor). It should use some or most of the references included in the annotated bibliography, along with any additional refereed sources found in subsequent research. At least one of your sources must have been published since 2012.
The essay’s bibliography should include all the works consulted during the preparation of the essay as well as those cited directly. Do not pad your bibliography with sources you did not use. This is a very poor practice as these unread sources may include relevant information that you will be claiming you have read when in fact you have not. Please remember you cannot use your texts or assigned readings for this essay. Have a balanced approach to the use of your sources. That is, do not rely primarily on one or two sources. In addition to the required sources, you may refer to government documents if they are germane to your topic. You may also use quality newspapers or magazines if absolutely necessary, but DO NOT rely upon these sources, and it is best not to use them at all. If you do, the information gleaned from them should be cross-referenced for accuracy and should not include commentary or what is sometimes called analysis. This assignment is to be sent for marking only after you have received the mark and comments for your annotated bibliography assignment.
For assistance on writing and formatting the essay and bibliography, please consult the Political Science Research & Writing Guide. There are several styles available for citing your references and constructing a bibliography. While we do not insist on one particular style, we do insist that whatever style you use, it is used correctly and consistently throughout the essay. Your essay should have a clearly demarcated introduction that provides the reader with your main argument, or thesis. This should be separated from the main body of the paper, which develops your argument. Finally, your paper should have a clearly demarcated conclusion that is separate from the body of the paper. Be sure to put your name on the paper along with the paper’s title on a covering title page or above the actual start of the essay.
Modern states claim that there is a need to surrender some of our freedom and privacy as part of the “war on terror” in the interests of keeping us more secure. Using specific examples from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, discuss the extent to which our freedom and privacy is being compromised. Can these intrusions (cited in your specific examples) into personal freedoms and privacy be justified in a liberal democracy? With reference to the ideas of liberal democracy, explain your position. (Note: this is not an opinion essay on whether you support or oppose the identified intrusions, nor is it an essay on whether these intrusions occur, but rather an analysis of whether the intrusions are justified in a liberal democracy.)
Federalism is supposed to allow for the better expression of regional differences. As such, it is hoped that it will result in greater legitimacy in the political system. Is a federal structure the best system for maintaining the legitimacy of governmental authorities? Explain why it is or why it is not.
Privatization of services delivered by government is a hotly debated issue. On the one hand, supporters of privatization focus on consumer sovereignty to choose the services they need and want along with claims of a more efficient and accountable delivery system under privately delivered public services. Critics of privatization challenge these claims of efficiency and accountability, and note that privatization adds an element of profit to services where profit should be largely irrelevant. Like most issues in politics, the issue of privatization is not black and white. Using specific examples of privatization from Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, identify the circumstances under which the claims of its supporters are most likely to obtain and the conditions under which the critics of privatization are most likely justified.
How are judges shielded from political interference? Why do liberal democracies do this, and does judicial review necessitate that this traditional rule of no political interference be relaxed? Make sure to reference the ideas and practices of liberal democracy as you address this issue.
Explain the meaning of the sovereignty of nation-states. Does the existence and operation of international governance structures threaten the sovereignty of the nation-state? Identify the conditions under which sovereignty is maintained and the conditions under which sovereignty is impaired. (Once again, resist the temptation to comment on whether you think this is a good thing or necessary. Stick to simply identifying the effects of international governance structures on nation-states and when these effects are most likely to obtain and the conditions under which they do occur.)
Recently, the Canadian Senate has been characterized by a series of scandals leading some Canadians to question its need, role, and function. Consider the proposals to reform the Senate from the 1980s to date. Are any sufficient to create a legitimate and accountable upper chamber within the Canadian federal system?
In all liberal democracies, the structure of the economic system features some degree of capitalism. Why is this? Do you think that liberal democratic theory and the theory of capitalism are compatible? Explain why you hold the position that you do.
Briefly summarize the factors that contributed to the outbreak of the Second World War in no more than a page or two and then analyze this war in terms of realism, liberal internationalism, and radical and constructivist approaches to international politics. Which approach is most convincing to you? Explain your reasoning. The brief summary that you provide of the war should set the context for your analysis, but make sure that your analysis and reasoning are the main focus of your essay.
Please keep in mind that these are suggested topics only. If none of these topics is of interest to you or if you would like to modify one of the above topics, consult your tutor concerning the possibility of writing a research paper on a topic of interest to you that is also related to a subject covered in this course. Do not proceed on an alternative topic, or with modifying one of the above topics, without discussing it with your tutor beforehand.
Select no fewer than five and no more than six academic-refereed scholarly works that relate broadly to the topic of your major research paper. At least one of the articles must have been published since 2012. A refereed or peer-reviewed publication is one that has been blind reviewed—that is, the reviewers do not know who wrote the proposed publication and its author does not know who has reviewed their work—by at least two qualified peer reviewers. These articles are longer on average than newspaper or magazine articles, usually between 15 and 30 pages. Simply using Google or a similar regular search engine is not an acceptable method of research. Almost all library books and journal articles found in university libraries and university databases have been peer reviewed. The Athabasca University library is a good place to start. If you have questions or doubts about this, or any other matter related to the course, contact your tutor.
Your textbooks and assignment readings do not count as sources that you can use. The textbooks may be useful for directing you to other more specific references (see their bibliographies at the end of a chapter), but they are of a general nature and do not constitute good references for a research essay.
Specific Begin the assignment with a brief paragraph (three to five sentences) explaining your response to the question chosen, either one of the above questions or an alternate that you have discussed with your tutor. Whatever question you choose to examine, clearly explain your position on the question in the first paragraph of the assignment. This is essentially a statement of thesis upon which you will build your research essay (Assignment 4). Note that this thesis statement must be fairly specific.
For instance, if you selected question 4, it is not sufficient to say you are going to examine the matter of judicial independence and judicial review in a liberal democracy (from the assigned question, we already know this). We ask why liberal democracies shield judges from political interference and whether judicial review should entail a relaxation of this traditional rule of non-interference. Accordingly, we want to see a specific answer to these questions (including a position and why you hold that position), not simply a restatement of the question. In other words, the statement “This essay will examine judicial review and determine if it warrants relaxing the traditional view of no political interference with the judicial system” is not a thesis and is unacceptable. The purpose of this assignment is to let your tutor know what you intend to argue in your essay, and a statement like that above does not do this.
Afterward, provide a summary, or précis, of each work selected. These summaries will be one paragraph of between three to six sentences (totalling 60 to 80 words). Summaries that exceed 80 words are not worthy of the name, so be very careful to use your words wisely. Each summary should describe succinctly the work’s (1) thesis; that is, what the work argues or demonstrates, (2) the evidence examined that develops or proves that thesis, and, most importantly, (3) the relevance of the work’s thesis to your own proposed research essay (identified in your initial paragraph). In other words, how do you intend to incorporate the work into your own essay to help you sustain your own proposed thesis?
For purposes of this assignment, a “scholarly work” is either a book or an article published in a scholarly journal. Before preparing the annotated bibliography, you should consult the Political Science Research & Writing Guide. You should also pay special attention to the tutorial on using Google Scholar. If properly employed, Google Scholar can save you considerable time. At no time are you to use an Internet search engine other than Google Scholar for your assignments unless your tutor gives you written consent to do so.
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