Write a 6-7 page analytical essay on a current political topic or issue that you identify as one of the five most important today, based on at least five columns written by at least three different columnists. You should select columnists who have different viewpoints and perspectives, i.e., conservative (right), center (moderate), and liberal (left). One such topic might be the causes and prevention of gun violence and the role of the Second Amendment. Other topics might be NAFTA, “Obamacare,” “Cap & Trade,” global climate change, privacy v. national security, the Benghazi fiasco, the economy, the recently-negotiated nuclear agreement with Iran or Islamist terrorism. Be sure to attach the printed columns to the back of your paper and be sure to indicate when and where they appeared (i.e., give their citation). This should be a high-quality, well-written paper. Excessive errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation cannot be tolerated. Please include a bibliography at the end in which you list all your sources you turn your paper in on time, you will have the opportunity to resubmit your paper, after it is returned to you, to improve your grade, by making the corrections noted. All papers must be properly footnoted using APA format. See Also Cook Library has some hard copy handouts of citation forms. This form uses in-text footnotes and then an alphabetical list of references at the end of the paper.
