America Political 010W Writing
3/10/22, 11:52 AM Final Paper
https://elearn.ucr.edu/courses/35132/assignments/309704 1/3
Final Paper
Due Monday by 11:59pm Points 100 Submitting a file upload Attempts 0 Allowed Attempts 2 Available Mar 5 at 12am - Mar 14 at 11:59pm 10 days
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Background:
In Federalist Paper no. 10 James Madison presents part of his vision of what America could be because of the structure of the Constitution—a representative republic free from the oppression of minority or majority factions. Many of the texts for this course present a similar notion of what America can or should be (i.e. a democratic, egalitarian society). But, these texts also address the ways in which we have failed to live up to this ideal or how we have failed to “achieve our country”…
Primary Question:
For this assignment complete your argumentative, thesis-driven essay answering the following questions:
What does it mean to "achieve our country"? Have we failed to achieve our country? Why or why not?
If so, what has kept the United States from living up to its ideals? If not, in what ways has the US lived up to its ideals?
And, is it possible to achieve our country with our Constitution in its current state? Why or why not?
Requirements:
You must have a debatable/argumentative thesis statement. To address this question you must use Federalist Paper no. 10, The Constitution, How Democratic is the American Constitution?, How Democracies Die. You must also use at least 2 of the following sources (Uneasy Alliances, Democracy in Black, White Rage) You must also use at least 2 of the following sources (The Politics of Resentment, The Abolition of White Democracy, Achieving Our Country, Our Time is Now)
DO NOT incorporate outside research unless you have cleared it with your TA. DO NOT cite lecture. Go to the sources themselves. Lecture will not count as a valid source.
2750-3000 words (double spaced, Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1” margins) Use whatever formatting style you prefer unless your TA specifies their preference.
3/10/22, 11:52 AM Final Paper
https://elearn.ucr.edu/courses/35132/assignments/309704 2/3
Rubric (1)
Cover page including your name, TA’s name, class, date, title of paper, and one paragraph (200-300 words [does not count towards your overall word count]) explaining how you incorporated your TA's comments into your revised draft as well as any particular parts of the paper you would like them to focus on. In-text citations as well as a works cited page
Please remember, this is your FINAL draft. This is your last chance to demonstrate to your TA that you have tried your best to engage with and understand the texts for the course and that you have applied their comments and the workshops into your writing to become a better writer. Best of luck!
3/10/22, 11:52 AM Final Paper
https://elearn.ucr.edu/courses/35132/assignments/309704 3/3
Total Points: 100
Criteria Ratings Pts
5 pts
5 pts
20 pts
20 pts
15 pts
20 pts
15 pts
Cover Page
Does the student have a cover page which includes all of the necessary information (including your name, TA’s name, class, date, title of paper, and one paragraph (200-300 words explaining how you incorporated your TA's comments from your second draft, what you feel most confident about in your paper and what you’re most concerned about)?
Thesis
Does the student have a debatable/argumentative thesis statement that adequately answers the prompt?
Argument
Does the student translate the argument in their thesis to the paper itself, and do they do so convincingly?
Prose
Is the paper well written?
Organization
Is the paper as a whole well organized? And, is there good organization of the argument within the paragraphs themselves?
Material
Does the student show a good understanding of the course material?
Evidence
Is evidence well-used throughout the paper and is it cited correctly? Are all necessary sources used?