Congratulations. You have reached the final task in this class. Here you need to demonstrate your skill of creating an argument.
From the following three policy problems, write a case on one or these problems. As you know, a case is an argument for or against a claim. Below are the four problems. You only need to write on one of them. Below each is a link to background briefing of each to help you get started.
- Building a Border Wall between the USA and Mexico
- Changing the Military Use of Drones
- Imposing Tariffs on Foreign Goods
- Developing Laws on Generative Artificial Intelligence
Your argument needs to include:
- The wording of a correct and useful claim of policy for the problem area you chose.
- Tip: Make sure it is worded against the status quo.
- At least 3 issues from the list of 7 issues used to analyze a claim of policy.
- Tip: Make sure you include an issue on the significance of the problem
- Three Contentions based on the answer to your issues.
- Tip: Make your contentions a single sentence focused on the issue. They are not your argument.
- Based on your contentions, you need to state your position on the claim
- Tip: Do not change the wording of your claim. You are either for it or against it.
- Using quality evidence and reasoning, prove your 3 contentions
- Tip: What you believe or think is not important. What is important is what you can prove with evidence.
Sample Argument
Argument being made involves women's involvement in the military.
Claim: "The United States Military should allow women to serve in all the military duties they are qualified to perform."
Issues:
Is there currently a problem in the military with important positions going unfilled?
Can the military lower the standards needed for the unfilled positions so more men can qualify without decreasing military readiness?
Would the increase in women in military positions weaken the readiness of the military?
Contentions
There is currently a problem in the military with important positions going unfilled.
The military cannot lower the standards needed for the unfilled positions without decreasing military readiness.
An increase in women in military positions would not weaken the readiness of the military.
Position on Claim
I will be arguing for the claim: "The United States Military should allow women to serve in all the military duties they are qualified to perform." (If my contentions suggested that this claim is a bad idea I would state, "I will be arguing against the claim, "The United States Military should allow women to serve in all the military duties they are qualified to perform."
Argument -- This example will just show the argument of one contention. Yours will use all three of your contentions.
There is currently a problem in the military with important positions going unfilled. According to Major General Turgidson, "The military is facing a crisis in that key positions are going unfulfilled because we simply do not have the manpower to staff them."1 This crisis described by the general is only going to get worse as more and more members of the armed forces are deciding to leave the military. Navel Commander, Admiral Nemo explains, "In the last years we have seen an increase number of quality service men leaving the military instead of continuing their careers in the service as they had done in previous years."2 One possible solution to this problem would be to recruit more manpower into the military, but this approach does not appear to be feasible. As recruiter Major Hummel observes,
"We are seeing fewer and fewer qualified recruits enlisting in the military. as their ranks decrease, we have a smaller and smaller pool of qualified servicemen to place in important military occupations."3
Important positions in the military are not only going unfilled, but the problem will increase in severity as time goes on unless something is done.
I have created a very detailed rubric for this assignment to help you create a great argument. Make sure you use the Rubric for this assignment as a guide.
Create a Claim |
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State Issues |
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Contentions |
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Your Position on the Claim |
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Content of the Argument |
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