American Politics

American Politics

Analytical Essay Assignment

Is the United States an exceptional nation?

Recall that former President Obama stirred quite a controversy with his answer to that question. In approximately five (5) double-spaced pages using Times New Roman 12 pt. font and one-inch margins, summarize and critique the principal arguments of one side of that question from the McKenna text Taking Sides. (Note that to critique a position is to evaluate both the strengths and the weaknesses of that position.)

The form and style of this essay should be those of a graduate paper (see below).

The preferred citation method is found in Kate L. Turabian et al., A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers, 7th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007) or prior editions. Include a cover page, page numbers, etc., and otherwise format the paper according to the citation rules for a research paper (not thesis or dissertation). (I.e., no table of contents, etc.) You may also, of course, cite reputable books. Do not include graphics, special fonts, etc. (even on the cover page) in the paper.

No outside research is required, but if you choose to supplement your paper with references to other scholarship, you may only cite published books and journal articles. You may cite journal articles accessed online through the JSTOR service (available to all registered Regent University students through the Library website under “Databases.”) JSTOR is a storage service holding facsimiles of published peer-reviewed print journal articles that have been scanned and are accessible via the computer. Other “internet sources” must be used with extreme care.  For this paper, you should not require any government internet sources such as the Library of Congress or the Government Publishing Office.  Papers from “think tanks” such as Brookings, Hoover, or Rand must be used with care.  They are not peer-reviewed scholarly journals.  They are written to persuade rather than to expand the body of knowledge.  They are generally only appropriate as a means to illustrate a particular policy position. Again, you should not need to use them for this paper.

Books to refer to:

McKenna, George, and Stanley Feingold, eds. Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Political Issues, Expanded, 18th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2013. ISBN 9780078139529.

Kernell, Samuel, and Steven S. Smith. Principles and Practice of American Politics: Classic and Contemporary Readings, 6th ed. Washington: CQ Press, 2016. ISBN 9781483319872.