Discussion Instructions
The United States is the world’s wealthiest and most powerful country, but it still has its share of problems—some recent in origin, and others long-festering. For this final discussion, you will have the opportunity to research and propose a solution to a contemporary American problem of your choice in a mock op-ed, and debate with your peers for extra credit.
Note that this discussion has more moving parts than usual, so please pay attention to the additional rules.
A. Please reply to the following prompt in an initial post of at least 300 words total, and include at least one reference to a piece of original research—i.e. not using the lectures or assigned readings (18 pts):
Write a (mock) newspaper op-ed proposing a federal government policy towards a contemporary American issue of your choice. Support your position with original research.
Tip: This prompt is not asking for just your opinion on some national issue (i.e., “X is bad”), but what should be done about it (“X is bad, so the US should do Y”). Note that your problems and solutions need to be appropriate to the scope of the federal government’s responsibilities. For example, you shouldn’t write an op-ed demanding that the feds fill a pothole in your local intersection—talk instead about infrastructure in broader terms.
Tip: Not all opinions are created equal. To be persuasive, your opinions need to be backed up by facts. Please support your arguments with research. However, since this prompt concerns current rather than historical events, available information may be incomplete and/or subject to different interpretations. Consider the political leanings of your sources when conducting your research.
A selection of domestic news sources and magazines—and their political biases—are listed below. Note, however, that the below list of political biases may in turn be subject to my own political bias (!), as the difference between “center-left” and “centrist” and the like may vary from person to person.
ABC – center-left
Associated Press – centrist
Breitbart – far right
CNN – center-left
Democracy Now – left wing
The Economist – centrist
The Epoch Times – far right
Forbes – center-right
Fox – right wing
Huffington Post – center-left
Jacobin Magazine – left wing
Los Angeles Times – center-left
The Nation – left wing
NBC/MSNBC – center-left
Newsmax – far right
Newsweek – centrist
New York Post – right wing
New York Times – center-left
NPR – centrist
One America News Network – far right
The Philadelphia Trumpet – right wing
Time Magazine – center-left
Telemundo – center-left
Time Magazine – center-left
Univision – center-left
Vice News – center-left
Wall Street Journal – center-right
Washington Post – center-left
Washington Times – center-right
Lastly, you may also consider US government agencies/databases, or international institutions as sources of information:
CIA World Factbook
International Monetary Fund
Library of Congress
United Nations
US Department of State
World Bank
World Trade Organization
U.S. Census Bureau
