Pageof 5Critical Thinking Assignment POLS2311 Fall 25 Section_001 Assignment Title: Exploring the Principle of the Common Good and Its Tension with Individual Liberty in American Political Theory and

Critical Thinking Assignment POLS2311 Fall 25

Assignment Title: Exploring the Principle of the Common Good and Its Tension with Individual Liberty in American Political Theory and Practice

Objective: This assignment will build your critical thinking and research skills by exploring the tension between two core principles in American political thought: the Common Good and Individual Liberty. You will critically analyze how the balance between these principles has been interpreted and applied in various political contexts, supported by peer-reviewed sources. The goal is to deepen your understanding of this fundamental challenge in American political theory and practice. During the process, you will interact with real policy questions that exemplify the tension.

This is a Research Paper, not an Opinion Essay: An essay often focuses on your personal argument. A research paper, however, requires you to investigate a topic by finding, analyzing, and synthesizing multiple scholarly sources to build a comprehensive and evidence-based argument. Your primary goal is to see what the research says about your topic and use that to support or challenge a central claim (your thesis).

• Find and evaluate peer-reviewed scholarly sources using university library databases.

• Develop a focused, arguable thesis statement about the relationship between the common good and individual liberty.

• Use information from multiple sources to support your thesis.

• Consider actual policy issues in American governance.

• Construct a well-supported argument of approximately 1500 words.

• Use MLA style for formatting and citations correctly.

• Understand and apply principles of responsible AI use in academic work.

This project is broken into two parts to help you build your paper step-by-step.

• Preparation: You will need to select your topic (it can change, however, by the time you complete your research). Then, conduct some basic research to help you formulate your question and argument. You can use the sources in the assignment's bibliography if you wish to locate some sources to get you started. This may also be a good place to use AI to initiate your research, whether by sourcing information or conducting preliminary research. You should not ask A.I. to write your thesis statement; use your own intellect.

• Task: Submit a single, complete sentence that states the main, arguable claim of your paper. This is your "working thesis," and it can evolve as you continue your research.

• Example Thesis: "While American political thought has always valued both individual liberty and the common good, the balance between them has shifted dramatically; pre-2000 public health policy prioritized the common good through collective action, whereas post-2000 policy increasingly favors individual liberty, even at the expense of public health outcomes."

• Grading: Mandatory, low-stakes completion assignment (5 points). I do not grade or review the submissions. You get the points if you submit your claim. The idea is to get you started; it is quite possible, if not probable, that you may change your statement or topic by the time the complete assignment is submitted. That is fine and normal.

• Due Date: Submit to Canvas by 11:59 PM on November 9, 2025

• Task: Submit your complete research paper and the required AI Usage Log.

• Due Date: Submit to Canvas by 11:59 PM on November 23.

• Late submissions will incur a penalty as outlined in the course syllabus.

1. Topic Selection: Choose one of the following areas to focus your research on the tension between the "Common Good" and "Individual Liberty." Here are two proposed subtopics for each main topic, designed to be relevant for first and second-year university students. These proposals frame an apparent tension between the common good and individual liberty.

1. Public Health

• Subtopic A: Municipal Water Fluoridation vs. Individual Health Autonomy. This topic examines the public health practice of adding fluoride to community water supplies to prevent tooth decay, versus the individual's right to refuse medication and control their own consumption.

• Subtopic B: Age Restrictions on Tobacco and Vaping Products vs. Freedom of Choice for Young Adults. This topic examines the tension between laws raising the purchase age for nicotine products to protect public health and the liberty of legal adults to make their own lifestyle choices.

2. Economic Policy

• Subtopic A: Progressive Taxation for Social Welfare Programs vs. Individual Property Rights. This topic examines the use of a graduated income tax, where higher earners pay a larger percentage, to fund public services such as unemployment benefits and food assistance, versus the principle that individuals are entitled to the fruits of their labor.

• Subtopic B: Rent Control Ordinances vs. the Rights of Property Owners. This topic examines the conflict between city-level regulations that limit how much landlords can increase rent, aimed at ensuring affordable housing for the community, and property owners' right to freely set the price for their assets in the market.

3. Environmental Sustainability

• Subtopic A: Restrictions on Residential Water Use During Droughts vs. Private Property Use. This topic examines government mandates that limit activities like lawn watering or car washing to conserve water for the entire community, versus the freedom of homeowners to use their property as they see fit.

• Subtopic B: Bans on Single-Use Plastics vs. Consumer and Business Freedom. This topic explores the tension between regulations that prohibit items like plastic bags and straws to reduce pollution for the common good, and the liberty of consumers to choose convenient products and for businesses to operate without interference.

4. Social Justice

• Subtopic A: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Mandates vs. Private Business Autonomy. This topic investigates the requirement for private businesses to make "reasonable accommodations" (e.g., ramps, accessible restrooms) for people with disabilities to ensure public access, versus the freedom of business owners to manage their property and finances without government mandate.

• Subtopic B: Hate Speech Regulations on College Campuses vs. Freedom of Expression. This topic analyzes the conflict between university policies that restrict certain forms of speech to create an inclusive and safe environment for all students, and the principle of free speech guaranteed under the First Amendment.

5. Education Policy

• Subtopic A: Mandatory Vaccinations for Public School Attendance vs. Parental Rights. This topic examines the tension between state requirements for children to be vaccinated against communicable diseases to protect the entire school community, and the rights of parents to make health decisions for their children.

• Subtopic B: State-Mandated Curriculum (e.g., Critical Race Theory Debates) vs. Local School Board Control. This topic examines the conflict between state-level laws that dictate or prohibit the teaching of specific topics to maintain a unified educational standard, and the desire for local communities and their elected school boards to determine their curricula.

6. National Security

• Subtopic A: Full-Body Scanners at Airports vs. the Right to Privacy. This topic examines the use of advanced imaging technology by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to prevent acts of terrorism, balancing the security of all passengers with an individual's right to privacy and freedom from unreasonable searches.

• Subtopic B: Government Access to Personal Electronic Data (e.g., through the Patriot Act) vs. Digital Privacy Rights. This topic analyzes the tension between laws that allow government agencies to access phone records or emails to investigate potential terrorist threats, and an individual’s right to secure, private communication.

2. Research Requirements:

• You must use a minimum of five (5) peer-reviewed academic sources (e.g., scholarly journal articles, academic books).

• You may use other credible sources (e.g., government reports, reputable news articles) in addition to the five required peer-reviewed sources.

• Use the university library databases (like JSTOR, Academic Search Premier, etc.) to find your sources.

• You may use any of the sources in the bibliography; they are a recommendation only.

3. Paper Structure (~1500 words): Your paper must be organized with the following sections. Use the bolded titles as headings in your paper.

• Introduction and Thesis: Grab the reader's attention, introduce your topic, and state your final, clear thesis statement that makes a claim about the relationship between the common good and individual liberty. Briefly outline how your paper will prove this thesis.

• Theoretical Framework: The Central Tension: This is where you explain the key concepts of your paper. Based on your research, define both the "common good" and "individual liberty." Then, explain the theoretical tension between them. For example, how does a communitarian view of the common good conflict with a libertarian view of individual rights? You must use at least one peer-reviewed source to support your definitions and analysis of this tension.

• Contemporary Analysis: Discuss how the tension between the common good and individual liberty is being debated or contested within your chosen topic area today. What are the current challenges or controversies?

• Case Studies: The Shifting Balance: Analyze two specific, real-world examples (case studies) from your topic area.

  • Case Study 1: Must be from before the year 2000, preferably a current example.

  • Case Study 2: Must be from after the year 2000.

  • Your Goal: Explain how the balance between the common good and individual liberty was struck differently in each case. This section is crucial for showing how priorities have evolved. You must use evidence from at least two of your peer-reviewed sources to support your analysis.

• Counterarguments: What is the strongest argument against your thesis? Acknowledge at least one counterargument you found in your research and explain why your position is still more convincing.

• Conclusion: Summarize your main points and restate your thesis in a new way. Briefly explain why understanding the balance between these two principles matters. Did your research ultimately support your initial thesis? Conclude with a final thought on the future of this concept in American politics.

• Length: Approximately 1500 words (this does not include the Works Cited page or the AI log).

• Style: Use MLA formatting for the paper layout, in-text citations, and the Works Cited page.

• Submission: Submit on Canvas. Review your Turnitin originality report. A score over 25% may indicate issues with plagiarism or a need for better paraphrasing.

You are encouraged to use AI tools like ChatGPT or Grammarly as assistants for brainstorming, outlining, or checking grammar. However, you are responsible for the final work. On a separate, final page of your submission titled "Appendix: AI Usage Log," you must answer the following three questions.

1. AI Tools Used: Which AI tool(s) did you use (e.g., ChatGPT 4.0, Grammarly, Claude)?

2. Example Prompt: Provide one specific example of a prompt you used. (e.g., "Act as a political science professor. For the topic of environmental policy, suggest a pre-2000 case study where the common good was prioritized over individual economic liberty.")

3. Your Contribution: Briefly describe how you verified, edited, or built upon the AI's output to make the work your own. (e.g., "I used the AI's suggestion of the Clean Air Act, but I found my own peer-reviewed sources to analyze it and developed my own argument about how it balanced communitarian and libertarian ideals.")