Department of Politics and Public Administration Ryerson University

POG 110 Canadian Politics Fall 2011 Essay

8 September 2011 Mike Burke

General Instructions
This essay has three major requirements: 1. select one of the seven debates about contemporary Canadian politics listed on page 4, and summarize and analyze that debate; 2. incorporate relevant sections from the Dyck textbook in your discussion of the debate; 3. incorporate a recent newspaper article in your discussion of the debate. Each requirement is discussed in more detail below. The debate, the textbook and the newspaper article are the only sources I expect you to use for the essay. This assignment is a think piece, not a research essay. You need not do outside research that goes beyond these three sources. Due date: Thursday, 10 November. Submit your assignment to me during the lecture. Please include the name of your TA and your section number on the title page of your essay. Late assignments will be penalized three percent per day and may not be graded for some time. Please note that: (1) having assignments due or tests in other courses is not an acceptable reason to miss the essay deadline and (2) neither e-mail nor voice-mail is an appropriate medium to use to request an extension for submitting the essay. Please come to talk to me during my office hours if exceptional circumstances may cause you to miss the deadline. The essay should be approximately 2000 words in length (8 typed pages, double-spaced, with standard margins and standard font size). Please remember to number the pages of your paper. Be sure to keep a duplicate copy of your paper. This assignment is worth 30 percent of your final grade.

2 Citation Format You must cite your sources using the format explained in the Citation Guide, which was distributed today as a separate handout. In tutorial, the teaching assistants will review the essay requirements and the citation format. Please note: papers that do not use the proper citation format will be penalized.

1. Summarizing and Analyzing a Debate

Select one of the seven debates listed on page 4, and summarize and analyze that debate. Remember that the primary purpose of the essay is to examine the debate you have selected. The YES and NO sides of the debate will be your major sources for the essay. You also must show how the discussions in the course textbook and the newspaper article help you to understand aspects of the debate (see sections 2 and 3 below). The essay should have three components: a thesis statement, a descriptive section, and an analytical section. 1. Thesis Statement Each think piece should begin with a clear thesis statement indicating your position in the debate. That is, the thesis statement should indicate which debate you have selected for study and whether you think the YES side or the NO side makes the stronger case in that debate. 2. Descriptive Section You should outline the important points made by the YES and NO sides. Describe each sides central argument, the evidence used to support that argument, and the validity of the conclusions. The two sides may make different points or may give different interpretations of the same point. Be sure to indicate the differences and similarities, if any, in the two arguments. 3. Analytical Section In your analytical section, you should: (1) evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the two arguments; and (2) explain which argument makes the stronger case. Do not leave your analysis for the concluding paragraph of your assignment. The analytical component should be a major part of the assignment. Be sure to state your position as clearly as you can. That is, you need to decide whether the YES or NO side is more persuasive, state what your decision is, and explain the reasons for your decision.

Burke, POG 110, Essay, F11

3 In the analytical section, you might ask yourself the following questions: Are the central arguments logically consistent? Are there any gaps in reasoning? Do the YES or NO sides fail to address information that contradicts their arguments? How comprehensive is the coverage of the topic? Do the authors make any questionable assumptions? What kind of evidence is used to support the arguments? What is the quality of that evidence? Is the evidence weak or strong, reliable or unreliable? Are the conclusions supported by the evidence? Be sure to read the debate closely and carefully. I expect you to make up your own mind about the relative strengths of the YES and NO positions, and to document how you came to your conclusion.

2. Incorporating the Course Textbook

Read the sections from the course textbook (Rand Dyck, Canadian Politics, Concise 5th ed.) that are relevant to your debate, and use those sections to help you in your summary and evaluation of the YES and NO sides of the debate. Please note: papers that fail to engage the course textbook will be penalized.

3. Incorporating a Newspaper Article

Find a recent newspaper article, from a reputable Canadian newspaper, with a substantive discussion related to your debate, and use that article to help you in your summary and evaluation of the debate. In class or tutorial, we shall show you how to conduct electronic searches for newspaper articles. Please note: The article must be from period December 2010 to November 2011. You cannot use a newspaper article that is a required reading for the tutorials or that is cited in my course slides. Part of the assignment is to have you find an article on your own. You must attach the article to the end of your essay. If you do not, your essay will be deemed unacceptable and will be returned, unmarked, to you for resubmission. Papers that fail to engage the newspaper article will be penalized.

Burke, POG 110, Essay, F11

The Debates
The seven debates listed below are taken from Charlton, M., & Barker, P. (Eds.). (2009). Crosscurrents: Contemporary Political Issues (6th ed.). Toronto: Thomson Nelson Canada Ltd. The full text of all debates is available on Blackboard in the Assignments link. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Is the Recognition of Quebec as a Distinct Nation a Positive Step for Canada? Can Native Sovereignty Coexist with Canadian Sovereignty? Should Women Focus on Small-p Politics? Should Representation in Parliament Mirror Canadas Social Diversity? Is the Canadian Political Culture Becoming Americanized? Is a Mixed-Member Proportional Electoral System in Canadas Interest? Will Conservatism and the Conservative Party Fail?

Burke, POG 110, Essay, F11