Overview
The prompt below should be addressed fully and have a central argument/narrative connecting the various segments of the paper. Papers must be 8-10 pages in length, double-spaced, not counting the the works cited page/title page. Students are encouraged to use BOTH in-class materials and their own research to respond to the prompt.
Papers will be docked significantly for poor grammar or spelling. In addition, you are expected to cite your sources properly, both in-text and on the works cited page. You can use whatever citation style you prefer but must choose one and use it consistently throughout the paper. PLEASE DO MLA FORMAT.
In crafting your response, you MUST include at least SEVEN different sources FROM SEVEN DIFFERENT TOPIC AREAS to support your argument. You can draw on outside material and it will count toward the week that we covered that subject. The lectures DO No COUNT as a source, nor do dictionaries, encyclopedias, or Wikipedia.
Prompt #1: The current state of American democracy The last decade has seen increasing polarization between the Democratic and Republican parties, as well as among the American electorate, with the culture war taking center stage in political debates. At the same time, members of the public have expressed increasing dissatisfaction with America’s political institutions, distrust of government in general, and a belief that political violence may both be inevitable and even necessary. Why do you think trust and satisfaction in government has decreased? What has led to increasing polarization and support for the idea that political violence may be necessary? How have both internal (parties, branches of government) and external (social movements, media, interest groups, public opinion) factors exacerbated these divisions? Where do we go from here in addressing these issues? Is there any way to “fix” the problems that plague contemporary American politics?