POLS 613
Comparative U.S. State Politics
Spring 2005
Professor Haider-Markel
Department of Political
Science
504 Blake Hall, University
of Kansas
Guidelines for
Research Paper
Students are required to prepare a
research paper on a topic of their choice dealing with state politics and
government. However, I must clear each
topic first. To be cleared
by me students must submit an abstract outlining their research paper. Students are also encouraged to meet with me at their earliest convenience to discuss
their paper topic. You should choose a topic as soon as possible. The longer
you wait the less time I will have to assist you in your efforts.
Your abstract is due at the
beginning of class on Thurs., March 3. The abstract must include:
1) at least one paragraph describing
your topic, why the topic is important, and what question(s) you hope to
answer. You must state your research
question or questions as a question with a question mark.
2) a list of at least three articles
or books you plan to use for your research paper. You can use one Internet site as a possible
source. Failure to provide possible
references will constitute an incomplete assignment. Do not list a journal; you must reference a
specific article rather than a whole journal.
Your research paper is due in my
office (405 Blake Hall) or in my mailbox (504 Blake Hall) on or before May
10 at the start of Class. I
reserve the right not to accept late papers.
If a late paper is accepted, grade deductions will be made.
The goal of this assignment is for
you to connect the principles we have been discussing in class with a specific
case or cases. There are clearly many topics you might address, including state
politics issues we have not covered.
The paper must be 8 to 12 pages and
must include all of the following elements:
1. one or more specific statements
of why the topic is important (e.g. this topic is important because….).
2. statement of main question you
plan to answer with your research, stated as a question (meaning with a
question mark at the end).
3. a paragraph stating how your
paper is related to class readings and/or lectures (e.g. this topic is related
to class because….).
4. citations of source literature
(meaning citing sources of facts and ideas in your paper that are not your own
and including a full list of works cited at the end of your paper). In your
final paper you may not use more than 3 Internet sources.
If
you fail to include all of the above elements, you will lose points on the
paper. Try not to use quotations. Instead, paraphrase another author by
rewriting the statement in your own words and citing the source of the original
text or idea.
All papers should be stapled
together in the following order: title page (spend some time with the title--a
lame title really kills a paper), main text of paper, any endnotes, any tables,
any figures, and a complete list of references.
All papers must be typed and double-spaced. Although I will
not intentionally grade organization, grammar, and spelling, poor execution of
each makes a paper difficult to read and may result in a lower grade. Please use headings and sub-headings to
divide your paper into sections. If you
have a problem deciding where to place headings you probably need to redesign
the organization of your paper. An example of paper structure using
headings and subheadings would be:
Introduction
Topic and Statement of Importance
Statement of Research Question
Statement of Relation to Class
Historical Overview and
Background
Evidence Pertaining to Key
Research Question
Conclusion
References
Tables/Figures
Please refer to the Style Manual for Political Science that
is part of your reading packet. The
manual will assist you in citations, references, organization, and the use of
specific words.
If I suspect you did not write your
paper or that you plagiarized another
author I will discuss the problem with you.
If I have at least one piece of evidence to support my suspicions you
will receive zero points for the paper and you will fail the class.
Please don't hesitate to approach me with questions or concerns about your
paper. I am willing to read and return
first drafts of your paper. These drafts
will not be graded and will not influence your grade except insofar as my
comments may help you to improve your paper.
Writing Centers
Please note that KU has satellite
writing centers called Writer's Roosts.
The consultants there will work with you as you prepare drafts of
papers; they do not edit your papers, but they do help you meet the goals of
your assignments. Writer's Roosts are
open in several locations across campus; please check www.ukans.edu/~writing
<http://www.ukans.edu/~writing> for current locations and hours. Drop-ins and appointments are welcomed, and
there is no charge for services. For
more information, call 864-2399 or writing@raven.cc.ukans.edu
<mailto:writing@raven.cc.ukans.edu>.
Possible Sources for
Articles
Do not take all your sources from
one book or from popular magazines.
Below
is a list of national political science and politics journals as well as a few
books. The journals are NOT to be listed as citation sources, only
articles from the journals.
American Journal of
Political Science
American Political Science Review
Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report
Governing: The Magazine of States and
Localities
Journal of Politics
Legislative Studies
Quarterly
National Journal
Policy Studies Journal
Political Research Quarterly
Polity
Presidential Studies
Quarterly
Public Opinion Quarterly
Publius: The Journal of
Federalism
Social Science Quarterly
State Politics and Policy Quarterly
Possible Topics
The following are possible topics
for your paper. You are free to use one
of these topics or to choose one of your own.
How
do different state laws on voting influence participation and election
outcomes?
Review
of the literature on the impact of divided government in the states: What impact does it
have? Does this literature differ from
the literature on divided government at the national level?
What
do we know about interest groups and direct democracy?
How
do state legislative institutions differ and what impact does it have on
policy?
Why
have some states deregulated utilities while others have not?
What
are states’ experiences with utility deregulation?: success, failure?
What
has been the impact of term limits on state politics and policymaking?
How
have states experimented with charter schools?
What’s the impact on education?
Is
there really anything to the notion of state political culture?
Why
have some states have laws allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes?
Should
states pass laws banning mobile phone use while driving?
What
are the differences between how state Attorneys General operate?
Why
should states take action in a particular policy area instead of the federal
government?
When
should local governments take responsibility for an issue rather than state
governments?
Why
have elections for state office become so expensive? What does this mean for democratic politics
in the states?
Why
has the number of state interest groups grown so rapidly in the last 20
years? Is this something we should be
concerned about?
Citation and Reference
Examples
The general rule is that you must
cite a source for any information or ideas that you did not previously know or
come up with on your own. Citations
should appear in parenthesis in the text as follows: (author(s) name year, page
number(s)). Also, you should cite at the
end of the sentence that describes the information from your source. Do not simply put cites at the end of
paragraphs in an attempt to provide a single source for the whole paragraph. For example, the following is a proper
citation:
Throughout its rise in the mid-1800s
and its second surge in the early 1900s, the Klan typically operated as a
paramilitary group, arming and training themselves to harass, injure, and kill
African Americans and white sympathizers throughout the South (Berlet and Lyons
2000). And although the Klan did not
use military uniforms at the time, the white robes and hoods clearly identified
members as part of a distinct organization.
But the use of paramilitary structure by factions of the KKK was most
evident beginning in the 1970s as the “New Klan” adopted military garb and
structure under the guidance of David Duke (Coates 1987; Toy 1989; Gibson 1994;
Stern 1996; Berlet and Lyons 2000). Further, it was also during the 1970s that
the KKK began recruiting from military bases for the first time (Toy 1989, 142;
also see Bennett 1988, 347)--a practice emulated by the militia movement in the
1990s (Stern 1996).
Your list of references must include
all the sources you cite in the text of your paper and cannot include sources
you do not cite. Although I prefer that
you use a style manual, the key here is to simply use a consistent format. The following are acceptable reference
styles:
Light,
Paul C. 1991. The
President’s Agenda, Rev. ed.
Baltimore: Johns Hopkins.
Willen,
Mark. 1993. “Clinton Picks Freeh for FBI After Ousting
Sessions.”
Congressional
Quarterly Weekly Report 51:1962-63.
If you cite a web page, the same
rules apply except that there may not be an author named or a date of
publication. In those cases use the
organization as the author and the date you viewed the website as the
publication date. Also be sure to note
the title of the page you are looking at, not the homepage, and be sure to
include the web page address. An example
of a reference for a web page would appear as follows:
Earth Liberation Front.
2002. Statement from the Earth Liberation Front Press
Office, September 4, 2002. Earth Liberation Front (September 30, 2002).
http://www.earthliberationfront.com/news/2002/090402.shtml
Again, do not hesitate to ask
questions or to come see me.
Grading Rubric For Writing
Assignments Professor Haider-Markel
|
Task |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
Creativity/Originality |
A
lot of creatively in approach or topic |
Significant
creatively in approach or topic |
Some
creatively in approach or topic |
Minimum
creative effort |
Not
at all original or creative |
|
Statement
of Research Question |
Clear,
strong statement of research question; clear focus |
Understandable
statement of research question |
Statement
of unfocused question |
Very
Weak or unclear |
No
statement |
|
Statement
of the Importance of Topic |
Clear,
strong statement of topic importance |
Understandable
statement of topic importance |
Somewhat
Understandable statement of topic importance |
Very
Weak or unclear |
No
statement |
|
Statement
of Relationship to Class |
Clear,
strong statement of how topic is related to the class |
Understandable
statement of how topic is related to the class |
Somewhat
Understandable statement of how topic is related to the class |
Very
Weak or unclear |
No
statement |
|
Citation
and References |
All
information is properly cited and references are listed at end |
Most
information is properly cited and references are listed at end |
Some
information is properly cited and some references are listed at end |
Almost
no information is properly cited and references are not listed at end |
No
information is properly cited and references are not listed at end |
|
Organization
and Style |
Writing
shows good planning. There are bridges between paragraphs and ideas are
explained well |
Writing
shows good planning and ideas are explained well. Paragraphs and sentences
are arranged appropriately |
Clearer
paragraphing is needed. Too much jumping from idea or source to another |
Very
few if any logical connection between points; reread and rewrite |
Pretty
much stream-of-consciousness |
|
Detail |
Details
enhance the writing and provide information in depth |
Uses
enough detail to explain the topic |
Some
effort to use details to explain the topic, but some merely listed or are
unnecessarily repetitious |
Few
details or details unrelated to the topic |
No
details whatsoever |
|
Grammar
and Spelling |
Almost
no errors |
A
lot of errors; more care needed |
Clearly
the author never proofread the paper; errors so severe the paper was
difficult to read |
N/a |
N/a |