Week 6 Rough Draft

Overview: You will choose a contemporary political issue and propose a solution by your conception of the public good. You will have the opportunity to take a position on both your understanding of the public good and what you believe is the most effective solution to the problem you have chosen. Support for your positions will be drawn from scholarly, academic sources. You will be required to find sources examining the problem from diverse methodological perspectives using both qualitative and quantitative methods. You will evaluate the overall effectiveness of these methods in analyzing the issue. In order to promote a well-rounded analysis of the issue, you will be required to analyze sources that present a perspective contrary to the solution you propose and evaluate these arguments in an even-handed manner.

At this point, you have completed both Milestone One and Two to prepare you for your rough draft. You have selected a contemporary political issue, described why it is important to you and how it is relevant to the real-world practice of politics, as well as summarized the current literature relevant to your issue in a literature review. In Module Six, you will submit a rough draft of your final paper. Incorporate information from both Milestones One and Two into your rough draft. The rough draft will include the same elements as the final paper, but will not go into as much detail. This rough draft will help you prepare for completing the final paper, due in Module Nine.

Prompt: Specifically, the following critical elements must be included in your rough draft:

· An introduction, including:

o A quick background for your chosen contemporary political issue

o A clear outline of your research

· A personal theory of the public good, including answers to the following:

o How do you define the concept of the public good?

o How does your definition fit within broader discourses concerning the public good?

o What benefits and costs/trade-offs are associated with your definition of the public good?

· A chosen contemporary political issue, including answers to the following:

o What contemporary political issue have you chosen to analyze?

o How is the problem relevant to the real-world practice of politics?

o To whom do you believe the problem is most relevant?

o How does the issue you have chosen fit within the concept of the public good that you have outlined above?

· A methodology, including answers to the following:

o How do the quantitative and qualitative sources you have chosen analyze the issue?

o What methodological perspectives are represented by the sources you have chosen?

o How has the research informed your approach to conceptualizing the issue?

o What ethical implications are raised by the articles you have analyzed?

· Some solutions, including answers to the following:

o How do you think the problem can be most effectively addressed?

o How have perspectives contrary to your own position informed your solution to the problem?

o Why is your solution best for the real-world practice of politics? Justify your claims.

· A conclusion, including:

o A quick summary of the main findings

o The ethical implications raised by the solution you provide to the problem

o The solution that best serves the public good as you have defined it

· Articulation of response:

o Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization.

Rubric

Guidelines for Submission: This should be 6 to 8 pages in length (excluding title and reference pages), formatted according to APA style, and include at least seven resources that you will use in writing your final paper.

 

Critical Elements

Evident

Not Evident 

Value

 

Introduction: Background

Includes a quick   background for chosen contemporary political issue (5)

Does not include a quick background for chosen contemporary political issue (0)

5

 

Introduction: Research Outline

Includes a clear outline   of your research (5)

Does not include a clear   outline of your research (0)

5

 

Personal Theory: Define Public Good

Defines the concept of   public good (5)

Does not define the   concept of public good (0)

5

 

Personal Theory: Broader Discourses

Describes   how definition of public good fits within broader discourses concerning the   public good (5)

Does not describe how   definition of public good fits within broader discourses concerning the   public good (0)

5

 

Personal Theory: Benefits and Costs/Trade-Offs

Describes   the benefits and costs/trade-offs that are associated with the definition of   public good (5)

Does not describe the   benefits and costs/trade-offs that are associated with the definition of   public good (0)

5

 

Political Issue: Choice of Issue

Identifies   the contemporary political issue to be analyzed (5)

Does not identify the   contemporary political issue to be analyzed (0)

5

 

Political Issue: Relevancy to Real-World Politics

Describes   how the problem is relevant to the real-world practice of politics (5)

Does not describe how the   problem is relevant to the real-world practice of politics (0)

5

 

Political Issue: Relevancy to Whom

Identifies   to whom the problem is most relevant (5)

Does not identify to whom   the problem is most relevant (0)

5

 

Political Issue: Public Good

Describes   how the selected issue fits within the concept of public good (5)

Does not describe how the   selected issue fits within the concept of public good (0)

5

 

Methodology: Quantitative and Qualitative

Describes   how the quantitative and qualitative sources selected analyze the issue (5)

Does not describe how the   quantitative and qualitative sources selected analyze the issue (0)

5

 

Methodology: Perspectives

Identifies   what methodological perspectives are represented by selected sources (5)

Does not identify what   methodological perspectives are represented by selected sources (0)

5

 

Methodology: Informed Approach

Describes   how the research informed the approach to conceptualizing the issue (5)

Does not describe how the   research informed the approach to conceptualizing the issue (0)

5

 

Methodology: Ethical Implications 

Describes   the ethical implications raised by the analyzed articles (5)

Does not describe the   ethical implications raised by the analyzed articles (0)

5

 

Solution: Effectively Addressed

Describes   how the problem can be most effectively addressed (5)

Does not describe how the   problem can be most effectively addressed (0)

5

 

Solution: Contrary Perspectives

Describes   how perspectives contrary to own position informed solution to the problem   (5)

Does not describe how   perspectives contrary to own position informed solution to the problem (0)

5

 

Solution: Real-World Politics

Describes   why solution is best for the real-world practice of politics and justifies   claims (5)

Does not describe why   solution is best for the real-world practice of politics or justify claims   (0)

5

 

Conclusion: Summary

Includes   a brief summary of main findings (5)

Does not include a brief   summary of main findings (0)

5

 

Conclusion: Ethical Implications

Discusses   the ethical implications raised by the identified solution (5)

Does not discuss the   ethical implications raised by the identified solution (0)

5

 

Conclusion: Solution

Identifies   the solution that best serves the completed definition of public good (5)

Does not identify the   solution that best serves the completed definition of public good (0)

5

 

Articulation of Response 

Submission   has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or   organization (5)

Submission has critical errors   related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent   understanding of ideas (0)