Overview
This paper will be about an operational rule or practice of a political system outside the U.S that you find interesting and that you think the U.S. should consider adopting. You will describe the rule or practice and evaluate the wisdom of adopting it here. Specifically, you should describe the benefits you think it would bring but also the costs it might impose, and you should consider what difficulties might be involved in adapting the rule or practice to fit the U.S. system.
Your focus should be on improving how the political system operates, not certain substantive policies it produces. If you're not sure, please check with me in advance.
I will be looking for sophisticated reasoning and use of ideas from class, both in your discussion of the large goals that would (or would not) be well served by the reform you're considering and in your discussion of why you think the reform would have (or not have) certain effects.
You will need to do some independent research to identify a rule or practice from another country that interests you, but most of the paper should be your own thinking.
I would expect papers to be about 6-8 pages. The format of citations doesn't matter to me, but it is essential that you clearly cite any sources for information you didn't know or ideas or language you are incorporating in your paper