The purpose of this assignment is to choose one state policy issue that is interesting to you and learn more about how the political parties stand of the issue. For this assignment, you will need to provide the following: (You will need to complete all of the steps in order to have the potential to earn the maximum points possible.)
Define how this issue selected affects the state (Texas) Explain the current status of the issue at the state level.
You must use a minimum of four (4) scholarly and varied sources to define the policy issue selected; to explain how the issue affects the nation; and the current regulatory status of the issue. You must use a minimum of two (2) primary sources for this section. An example would be a federal law or US Supreme Court decision. (You can find summaries of US Supreme Court cases at Oyez.orgLinks to an external site..) Finally, you will need a minimum of ten (10) sources in-order to maximize your point opportunities for multiple sections of the assignment. (This is not a guarantee of maximum points, it is one part of the overall assignment.)
Scholarly Sources include your textbook– which is a great place to begin; law journals; official government websites
Examples of topics: Gun Regulation; Legalization of Marijuana/Drugs; Environmental Regulation; National Debt; Immigration Policy: DACA; Refugee & Asylum Policy; Death Penalty; etc. Look at your political quiz answers and see if an issue from the quiz interests you.
Research and summarize the position of the two major parties, Democratic and Republican, along with one, third party of your choice. You must use the most recently adopted State party platforms.
Do not copy and paste any information from the platform. No quotes are allowed in this paper. The purpose is for you to review the issue and explain in your words how the party stands on the issue. Again, you must use the official Texas Party Platform of each party. (Remember, even if you are not directly quoting a source you will need to cite the source you are interpreting to avoid plagiarism.)
Once you have completed the research, you will explain what you believe the proper role of government is regarding the policy issue selected.
You must clearly cite to all sources within the paper and include a works cited page. You are free to use APA, MLA, CHA, etc. Simply choose a method and stay consistent. You will use a minimum of seven sources for this assignment. (To help you with citations, I use Purdue’s OWL.Links to an external site. I constantly use Purdue’s OWL to remind me of the steps in citation when writing a paper.)
The final paper should be approximately 1400 words (About 6 pages double-spaced.) and must be submitted to Canvas (which is automatically set up as a Turnitin (plagiarism drop box) on or before the due date. Plagiarism will result in a 0 and a personal meeting with the instructor.
Official Party Platforms:
A) 2020 Texas Democratic Party PlatformLinks to an external site.
Housed at: Texas Democratic PartyLinks to an external site.
B) 2020 Texas Republican Party PlatformLinks to an external site.
Housed at: Texas Republican PartyLinks to an external site.
Choose 1 of the Third Party Platforms:
2021 Texas Green Party PlatformLinks to an external site.
2020 Texas Libertarian Party PlatformLinks to an external site.
Grading Rubric:
Intro to the Issue: 30 pts
Party Platform Summary: 50 pts
Closing Analysis: 10 pts
Grammar, Citing & Paper Format: 10 pts
Finally, make sure you have a cover page and your works cited page. Those two pages are not counted as part of your page total.
Let me know if you have any questions.
