Political Science: Instructions for Extra Credit Papers

Students may complete 1 or 2 extra credit papers worth up to 15 points each.  To earn a full 15 points, each paper needs to exhibit insightful analysis and critiques, in addition to college-level grammar, spelling, etc.  These papers are due at the beginning of class on our last lecture meeting – NOT the day of the final.  No late papers, emailed papers or faxed papers will be accepted.

In each 4-5 page paper, you will analyze a different political text selected from the list of approved books below.  Before you start your paper, you must get approval from me for your selection (send me an e-mail).

The first section (approximately two pages) will be devoted to a summary review of the different chapters and major arguments in the book.  This section needs to be in your own words – don’t insert lengthy quotations or paraphrased sentences.

The second section of this extra credit paper (about one page) will be devoted to an analysis of where exactly this author falls along the ideological spectrum (radical? liberal? moderate? conservative? reactionary? somewhere in-between two of these ideologies?).  Explain your arguments with evidence from the text and by relating the core values and characteristics of the ideological spectrum we discussed in class.

The last section (about one-page) is where you will critique the arguments made by the author.  What are the weaknesses/flaws in their arguments or evidence?

This paper must be typed, stapled, double-spaced, size 12 Times New Roman font, with one-inch margins and your name, class, and date in the header (not in the body of the paper – click “View–Header & Footer”).  No cover pages or folders. Points will be deducted for spelling and grammatical errors, and for deviations from the format described above.

List of Approved Books Below:

Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of Mass Media by Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky

Political science
find an article using the experimental method published in a scholarly journal like American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, or Journal of Experimental Political Science by using Google Scholar. http://scholar.google.com/. Write a three page summary and critique of the article. In the summary, be sure to discuss the experimental design, the experimental stimulus, the experimental conditions, and the type of experimental subjects used. In your critique, mention one strength and one weakness of the experimental study and explain why these are strengths or weaknesses. When submitting the assignment, be sure to include a full cite of the article that you are reviewing as well as a link to the article online.

Your paper should be 3 pages minimum and double spaced (12 pt Times New Roman font, 1 inch margins). The alternative activity will be evaluated by the lab director (Dr. Fridkin). Please submit your assignment through the SPGS Experimental Lab Organization Blackboard page. The alternative assignment is listed under the content tab, and each submission will be reviewed through SafeAssign software to ensure anti-plagiarism.

You need to identify the professor and the class at the top of your assignment to receive credit.

If you are having difficulty completing the assignment, please feel free to take advantage of the on-campus and online resources designed to assist students. Helpful resources include the ASU Tutoring and Writing Centers https://tutoring.asu.edu. If you are having difficulty submitting your assignment or logging into the sona systems booking site, the University Computing Commons sites located throughout campus should be able to assist you https://ucc.asu.edu.

Political science
find an article using the experimental method published in a scholarly journal like American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, or Journal of Experimental Political Science by using Google Scholar. http://scholar.google.com/. Write a three page summary and critique of the article. In the summary, be sure to discuss the experimental design, the experimental stimulus, the experimental conditions, and the type of experimental subjects used. In your critique, mention one strength and one weakness of the experimental study and explain why these are strengths or weaknesses. When submitting the assignment, be sure to include a full cite of the article that you are reviewing as well as a link to the article online.

Your paper should be 3 pages minimum and double spaced (12 pt Times New Roman font, 1 inch margins). The alternative activity will be evaluated by the lab director (Dr. Fridkin). Please submit your assignment through the SPGS Experimental Lab Organization Blackboard page. The alternative assignment is listed under the content tab, and each submission will be reviewed through SafeAssign software to ensure anti-plagiarism.

You need to identify the professor and the class at the top of your assignment to receive credit.

If you are having difficulty completing the assignment, please feel free to take advantage of the on-campus and online resources designed to assist students. Helpful resources include the ASU Tutoring and Writing Centers https://tutoring.asu.edu. If you are having difficulty submitting your assignment or logging into the sona systems booking site, the University Computing Commons sites located throughout campus should be able to assist you https://ucc.asu.edu.