Reflection Essay 3-5 pages

Essay 3: Reacting to the Process of the 2020 Election.

Note: Unlike essays 1 and 2, this essay is not required to take a focus on your own major/discipline. This will be a departure from that expectation.

Prompt:

As listed in the handout on “Writing a Reaction Paper” provided in Unit 3, the purpose of a reaction paper is to provide a kind of report that has two major parts or sections (each with multiple paragraphs):

Part 1 - Summary

Part 2 - Reaction

SUMMARY: Now, for our purposes, I’ll refer below to “background/context” and that is synonymous with the “summary” part of the assignment. In other words, your first task in the essay will be to provide sufficient context about the topic you chose before moving on to your reaction. This will require independent research. The “background/context” section should not have personal opinions or points of view.

REACTION: The reaction section is the place for your thoughts/feelings about the election process, and it should include your point of view on the topic of your paper. Here, you explore your perceptions about the sources you have both watched and read as you prepared for writing this essay. The reaction section should clearly indicate what sources you are “reacting” to, and not just express abstract opinions or ideas. I would also like your reaction section to include analysis, examples, and an argument (not necessarily in that order). Since it’s not a traditional outline for an essay (where the argument is stated in paragraph one), your argument may come in the conclusion paragraph for this essay after you have laid out all the relevant information and analyzed it from your point of view.

For this paper, students will write a reaction paper to the events and election processes surrounding the 2020 presidential election. The task is not to write a reaction to the election’s outcome (i.e., approval or disapproval of the winning party/candidate), but to the processes by which the election took place. (Actually, at the time of the writing of this prompt, the winning candidate had not been selected). If you are still wondering about whether you can write about your support for a party/candidate, see footnote #1.[footnoteRef:0] [0: ]

TOPIC CHOICES: For this assignment, please select one of the narrow topics below to write your reaction paper about. I have highlighted the main topic in yellow for each one:

1. Due in part to COVID-19, mail-in voting was used for the 2020 election. Afterwards, it took longer than usual to process the results in some states. Write a reaction to the mail-in voting aspect of the 2020 election and its aftermath. (Background/Context). Why might some states (Florida, for example) that used mail-in voting have been able to submit votes on election night while others (Pennsylvania, for example) took much longer? How did mail-in voting affect the election results? How did it affect the American people or public discourse? What thoughts or feelings do you have about it? And what have you been able to learn as you’ve researched the topic? (analysis). When else has an election not been called for days or weeks after election day? (examples). Finally, since mail-in voting has been tried this year, would it be a good idea to continue to allow mail-in voting in future elections? What are the benefits and drawbacks? Make an argument either in favor of or against mail-in voting as an option for US presidential elections in the future. (argument)

2. As stated on the History Channel’s website: “The 2020 election is projected to have the biggest voter turnout rate in over a century.” What might have been the reasons for this? Was it the mail-in voting option, the candidates, the issues, or the current events of the past 4 years? Some combination perhaps? Explore the possible reasons, but avoid stating your opinions thus far (Background/Context). Next, what is your educated guess as to the reason for the high voter turnout? What do you think caused this upsurge in votes, and how did you come to your conclusions? Pay close attention to what you think and feel on this matter, and anything you have read/watched/heard (analysis). Besides this year, when else has America had high voter turnout for an election? What years have had the highest turnout and why? (examples). Make an argument identifying the top 3 reasons you believe the voter turnout was high in 2020, and support your argument with further detail for your thinking (a rationale) throughout the essay (argument).

3. The risk of the spread of COVID-19 has been a global issue throughout 2020, and this pandemic overlapped with an election year in the US. Discourse about the pandemic influenced election debates, gatherings, and voting methods. What are the stakes when it comes to the spread of COVID-19 in physical gatherings and/or in buildings/spaces used for election polling? How did COVID-19 affect the election cycle, and how did discourse about COVID-19 affect the election cycle? Tough questions. First explore the situation, but avoid stating your opinions thus far (Background/Context). Next, what is your point of view on the risks of COVID-19 or other diseases spreading during election events or election polls--including when recommended precautions have been taken? Do you believe it is too risky for people to vote in-person? Should masks be required while voting in person? (As they are not now). (analysis). Has the spread of disease during an election been a major issue/concern prior to 2020? If so, when? And how did it affect the election cycle that year? (examples). Make an argument either for or against public attendance at detabes and in-person voting during a global pandemic such as COVID-19 (argument).

Citations: Use in-text citation and include a list of references for any sources that you use. Please include a works cited or references page (depending on the citation style used: MLA or APA). Use the style most commonly required in your major, which for most is APA.

Purpose: The main purpose of this assignment is to create an interesting, authentic, well-organized, and well-written reaction paper on the topic you chose from the assignment prompt (#1, #2, or #3).

Audience: Consider your audience a general reading public: People who enjoy reading as a practice and are eager to think about complex topics; who think critically. Also consider your audience to be composed of people with varying levels of interest in the subject of your essay: Try to engage a wide variety of readers.

Point of view: Third person and first person; please do not use the second person (you) in this report.

Length: 3 to 5 pages (double-spaced, size 12 font, MLA or APA style). Write at least 3 full pages of text, with the list of references not counting toward the 3 pages requirement.

Grading: The piece will be graded on the overall writing quality, including higher-order concerns (clarity, organization, originality, accuracy of ideas, reflection of the readings, etc) and lower-order concerns (diction, style, grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, delivery). The most effective essays will have a clear purpose and thesis, and originality of thought - which, again, are what I call “higher-order concerns” in writing. The requirement to explicitly address the prompt, and use the required readings, will also be considered in the overall grade.

Teacher Expectations: It is the expectation of the teacher that essays will be original in thought, and that students will put in several hours of work each week until the final draft is completed. It is expected that students will study all of the sources in Unit 3, complete assignments in Unit 3, and do independent research on their chosen topic. It is also expected that students will not plagiarize material, the penalty for which (in the most egregious cases) is a failing course grade and potentially further penalties from the university. When doing independent research, it is expected that students will use trusted and reliable sources and refereed websites (.gov, .edu, .org). Finally, it is expected that students will utilize available resources (as needed) such as the Writing Center or other tutoring services.