PS 103: U.S. Political Systems Presidential Candidates Paper Due: November 12 You are to write a 4-6 page paper on one of the candidates who has declared that he or she is running for President in 2020. Your paper is to present the results of your independent research into and thoughtful analysis of the candidate about whom you choose to write. Your paper must contain the following elements: Introductory Paragraph In your introduction make clear which candidate you are writing about, his or her party affiliation (past and present), and some basic background information on your candidate (education, marital status, religion, work history, etc. . .). Independent Research: Your Candidates Campaign Discuss your candidates campaign and explain his or her rationale for running for President. When, where, and how (with a public speech, a web video, etc. . ) did your candidate declare he or she is running for President? What rationale or motivation for running has he or she stated? What issues has your candidate most emphasized and what is your candidates position on those issues? (Focus on two to four major issues your candidate emphasizes and try to explain both their position on those issues and the reasoning they offer in support of their positions on those issues). If your candidate is a public figure (especially if they hold or have held political office before), have their views on these issues changed or evolved over time? If so, how? You might also want to consider how your candidate has tried to communicate his or her campaign issues and messages to would-be supporters and voters (social media, a campaign website, speeches or rallies, debates, media appearances, etc. . . ). Independent Research: Your Candidates Fundraising How has your candidate been funding his or her campaign? Who has been contributing to your candidates campaign (small donors, large donors, special interests, etc. . . )? How much has your candidate raised from different donors or donor types? Have donations increased or decreased? How much has your candidate spent? How have they spent their money (ads, rallies, etc . . . )? How much money does he or she have on hand? Independent Research: Your Candidates Chances of Winning What do the press and political commentators suggest about your candidates chances of securing his or her partys nomination? (Focus not on your candidates chances of winning the presidency but only on your candidates chances of winning his or her partys nomination.) What reasons do commentators offer in support of their analysis? Independent Analysis Based upon your research, do you think your candidate is likely to become his or her partys nominee? Why or why not? (Again, focus not on your candidates chances of winning the presidency but only on your candidates chances of winning his or her partys nomination.) Some further guidelines and advice: Formatting Guidelines –Your paper is to be 4-6 pages in length (double-spaced in Times New Roman 12-point font with 1 margins). You must include a Works Cited page (which does NOT count toward your total page count). –Your paper should be formatted and works cited should cited according to MLA style. If you are unfamiliar with MLA style (or could use a refresher), the following webpages offer a helpful overview of MLA style: — — Citation Guidelines –All sources must be cited and must be reliable and credible sources. –You must cite at least your candidates website and five other credible and reliable sources. Failure to do so will result in a loss of points. –Your sources should be ideologically varied. They should not be all conservative or all liberal, all in support of your candidate or all opposed to your candidate. Failure to consider varied sources and perspectives will result in a loss of points. Some Advice on Reliable and Credible Sources –While these are certainly not the only reliable and credible sources for current political events news and information about candidates running for office, they are a good place to start if you are looking for such sources: (Good for candidate information) (Good for campaign finance information) –Major newspapers: New York Times, Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today –Other major news outlets: ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, NPR, CNN, FOX, MSNBC –Some other sources: C-SPAN, The Cook Political Report, –Some other sources still: The Atlantic, The Economist, The Guardian, The Hill, National Review, The New Republic, Politico, Slate, Vox Writing Guidelines –Writing matters! Proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, syntax, and citation do count. Good writing will help raise your grade. Poor writing will lower your grade. Submission Guidelines –Your paper is due (in hard copy form) at the beginning of class on the due date listed at the top of the assignment.
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