What is government? What is the role of government to the people and what is the role of the people to the government?
In this paper, you will need to use four sources – they can all be from this class, or you can use outside sources to supplement. Use at least three sources from this class. You may use the same sources you used in your opinion paper. When you all cite – do not let citations overpower your voice. Try to avoid citations over three lines, do not begin or end a paragraph with a citation, and do not let their be more quotations than sentences you write! Finding the balance of citations is tricky – you all are on the right track. This paper may look a little more formulaic than your last paper. You need to answer a few questions in your paper, but still write an introduction and conclusion paragraph. Your intro/conclusion are used to frame your paper, and can answer questions like – why does this topic matter, what is YOUR opinion about this topic, why are you telling the reader about this topic? A lot of you gave definitions in your papers – this is great. How words are defined matters – and not everyone will agree. If all of you defined government, there would be 20 different answers. Sure some would overlap, but you each would include details or framing based on your opinions, experiences, and preferences. When a theorist defines power, government, citizens – those definitions are influenced by that person’s beliefs and experiences. If two theorists agree on a definition, you can define a word once – but if they don’t you can define a concept or word more than once.
Your paper topic is “What is government?” This questions requires that you both cite theorists from the class AND make a claim about what you personally think government is. This paper should reflect your perspective of government but should also show me what you learned in this course. Guiding questions have been provided below to help you develop your ideas and structure your paper. You should use examples from our readings and from other sources to support your points and illustrate your ideas. Formatting Your paper should be typed, double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5″ x 11″) with 1″ margins on all sides and 3-5 pages in length. You should use a clear font that is highly readable. APA recommends using 12 pt. Times New Roman font. A separate reference/citation page is required and NOT included in your page count. If you have need accommodations for typed work (or for any reason) please let me know as soon as possible. Questions Be prepared to answer the following questions in your paper. Identify the theorist and their works covered in this course to inform you paper. Remember to cite your work correctly. Many of these questions have been discussed in the weekly reading questions, think about looking at discussion boards for support if you get stuck on a question or citation (you may not copy your or your classmates work straight from the discussion boards, but they can spark ideas).
1. What is the role of government to the people and what is the role of the people to the government? 2. What would happen without a government? 3. Which political theorist do you believe has influenced our system of government the most and how have they done so? 4. What does an ideal government look like? What does it NOT look like? Why? Structure and citations: Your paper should have an introduction paragraph/s, well-developed body paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph/s. Treat this like one essay, not responses to four questions. When you cite a source, remember to give the author name and page number. If it is a source outside this course, please also give the title of the work you are referencing. Again, think about the discussion boards if you are stuck for a citation.
