POLS 625: Extremist Groups and Government Response
Spring 2005
Professor Haider-Markel
Department of Political
Science
University of Kansas
Guidelines for
Research Paper
Students are required to prepare a
research paper on a topic of their choice dealing with government response to
extremist groups. However, each topic must be
cleared by me 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 Thursday, Feb. 24. 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 Monday,
May 16,
The goal of this assignment is for
you to connect the principles we have been discussing in class with a specific
case. There are clearly many topics you might address, including extremist
groups 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). You may
not use more than 3 Internet sources in your final paper.
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
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 will likely 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
Do not take all your sources from
one book or from popular magazines.
On
campus we have an excellent source for research on extremist groups in The
Wilcox Collection of Contemporary Political Movements. The collection is part of the
Below
is a list of national political science and politics journals as well as a few
books. You need to cite at least three
sources for your paper.
American Behavioral
Scientist
American Journal of
Political Science
American Political Science Review
American Sociological Review
Analyses of Social Issues
and Public Policy
Congressional Quarterly
Weekly Report
Criminal Justice Ethics
Criminology and Public
Policy
International Journal of
Comparative Sociology
International Studies
Quarterly
Journal of Black Studies
Journal of Politics
Justice Quarterly
Legislative Studies
Quarterly
National Journal
Policy Studies Journal
Political Communication
Political Psychology
Political Research Quarterly
Political Science Quarterly
Polity
Presidential Studies
Quarterly
Public Opinion Quarterly
Publius: The Journal of
Federalism
Social Forces
Social Problems
Social Science Quarterly
Terrorism and Political
Violence
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.
But remember your topic must be stated as a research question.
What
is the current threat of international terrorism to the
How
have state governments responded to the threat of international terrorism?
How
has the
Is
Al Qaeda different from other terrorist organizations? If so, what does it matter?
FBI
Investigations of the Black Panthers: was it legal?
FBI
Investigations of the American Indian Movement (AIM): did they go too far?
Laws
Restricting Abortion Clinic Protests: do these laws limit free speech?
Policies
restricting hate speech on Campus: what are the issues?
Anti-Terrorism
Laws: can these ever work?
Government
Policies towards groups during time of war: do citizens happily sacrifice
freedoms during war?
A
comparison of government response to the same group in two different countries:
how is the response similar or different?
A
comparison of government response to the same group in two different cities:
how is the response similar or different?
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.
Willen,
Mark. 1993. “
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,
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 |