Order 1303784: Should Canada change its electoral system. YES

Political Science 201 – Second Assignment

Assignment #2 builds on Assignment #1. In the previous assignment students practiced building a basic argument in a four paragraph format. The care and focus that was needed in crafting those four paragraphs now must be repeated with a more complex argument. In Assignment #1 your two points or ideas were constrained to a paragraph each. In Assignment #2 you must develop your points or ideas using multiple paragraphs. In this way, the two (or three) points that you wish to make will be discussed and developed using multiple, but equally focused and developed paragraphs.

Academic Integrity: The University takes the issue of plagiarism very seriously. Be sure to provide a citation whenever you use ideas that are not your own. If you have any questions about how to do this, please meet with your TA during his/her office hours.

Submission of the Essay: For this essay, you will submit it to the D2L drop box. Please keep a hard copy for your records, however you will be asked to submit only an electronic copy to D2L. Your comments will be returned to you in electronic format, unless other arrangements are made with your TA.

ESSAY QUESTIONS

You must choose one of the questions listed below and answer it in an essay form. In responding to the question, you may begin with your text, but you are required to examine other scholarly (peer reviewed) articles/books that will shed light on the question you have chosen. In particular, you should check journals that might be relevant in political science and political thought. You must use and cite at least five books or articles.

1. Using Justin Trudeau as your case study, to what extent is he a ‘liberal’? Define liberalism and provide some specific examples of policies endorsed by your chosen politician that might either embrace and/or contradict this definition. On balance, does he fit your definition of ‘liberal’? (Hint: there will be many scholarly sources on liberalism. You may also wish to consult newspapers. While you may cite newspapers, they are not scholarly and do not count towards your five scholarly sources).

2. Would Edmund Burke think Jason Kenny is a conservative? If so, why, if not and what ideology might fit better and why? Use specific examples of policies that Kenny endorses as evidence. (Hint: there will be many scholarly sources on conservatism. You may also wish to consult newspapers for policy positions. While you may cite newspapers, they are not scholarly and do not count towards your five scholarly sources).

3. Should the United Nation’s Security Council end the veto power of the Permanente Five? Why or why not?

4. Is it correct to view fascism as primarily a 20th century ideology? Or is this ideology something that we continue to see and confront today?

5. Read the following columns: http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/businessreview/2017/03/13/gender-quotas-and-the-crisis-of-the-mediocre-man/ and http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/merit-vs-equality-argument/ and https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/opinion/rebecca-baker-jobs-should-be-based-on-merit-not-gender-quotas/news-story/be4e85419700f0f2c479c97c0731f93d and https://nationalpost.com/opinion/robyn-urback-gender-quotas-are-dumb-but-lets-stop-pretending-cabinet-appointments-are-based-on-merit Question: Are gender quotas inconsistent with political meritocracy? (Note: These blogs are designed to get you started, they do not count toward your five scholarly sources)

6. Should Canada change its electoral system? If yes, which system would you advocate for and why. If not, why not?

7. Governments in The West, including Canada’s, have increasingly focused their attention on terrorist groups like the Islamic State as sources of global instability and insecurity. Is Canada focusing its attention on the ‘right’ kind of security threats? Or is this focus at the expense of more pressing security challenges?

8. Some scholars argue that Canada should embrace a relationship of Treaty Federalism with Indigenous peoples. Outline, with specific reference to both the written text, and Indigenous traditions of Treaty 7, what treaty federalism is, and how it might work. (Hint: you will probably want to consult the book The True Spirit and Intent of Treaty 7 (1996)).

9. Re-elected Calgary mayor Nheed Nenshi said on election night in October of 2017 that the election "was often more about personality than policy.” Would having parties at the city level increase the focus on policy and decrease the focus on personality? Compare using Calgary and Vancouver as your case studies.

USEFUL RESOURCES FOR RESEARCHING YOUR PAPER

There are a number of useful places to go to begin researching and writing your essays.

1. Your T.A and Discussion Group. Your TAs will mark your essays and they have written many political science term papers so are the best resource when you want to get answers for your questions about the essay. You will also have a one hour group tutorial during the term to discuss the writing and referencing of essays. You should make an appointment to see your TA (or go to his/her office hours). It is better to go earlier in the term rather than later so you give yourself enough time to work through both the research and writing stages of the essay.

2. Ucalgary library. There are also resources available at the Taylor Family Digital Library. The library provides different kinds of support on researching your essay topic, and finding the right books and articles.

ASSESSMENT

Your essays must have the following components:

This assignment must include:

· A title page, with your name, student number and TA’s name

· An Introduction

· A central thesis statement formed into one complete sentence. The thesis statement must articulate what this assignment is going to argue (and must appear in the introduction)

· Two or three points/ideas that offer argumentation on different, but related points supporting your thesis

· Sentences transitioning and/or linking one point or idea to the next

· A conclusion in which students provide a summation of their ideas. Your conclusion needs to be clearly connected back to your central thesis statement.

· Conform to the formatting requirements listed below

· Be no more than five (5) double spaced pages

· Cite and integrate five (5) scholarly sources

The following will be used to assess the above components (highlighted lines are often trouble points for students and are particularly important):

1. A Clearly Stated Thesis - what you are trying to demonstrate or prove.

a. Argument to support your thesis:

i. analysis of the subject matter; not just description

ii. setting out key issues

iii. essay flows from one point to the next

iv. addresses key points on the other side of the argument

2. Effective use of a variety of good sources

a. you must use at least five books or articles, (textbooks, magazines and newspapers do not qualify as scholarly material)

b. using relevant articles, books and other materials

c. demonstrating familiarity with the literature of the subject

d. quotations properly used

e. careful use of websites

f. references correctly done

g. In-text APA is required

i. -bibliography present and correctly formatted

3. Relevant subject material - leave out irrelevant material that is not related to the argument you are trying to make.

4. Organization and style

a. paper is well written

b. good construction of paragraphs

c. essay concludes; does not just end.

d. mechanics (spelling, punctuation, grammar etc.)

GRADING SCALE

Please ensure that you have read, and understand, the grading scale for each letter grade outlined in the evaluation criteria.

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