Your essay must include a title page containing your name, POLS 2302, Written
Assignment (with an essay title), semester, and the date of your submission of the
assignment through Safe Assign. (The title page is not included as a numbered page and
your essay should meet the page number requirement exclusive of the cover page and the
Works Cited or Bibliography page.) Failure to include a title/cover page, in-text
citations of sources, and a Works Cited page will result in an automatic score of a zero
on the written assignment.
The written assignment must be uploaded as ONE document (title page, essay, works
cited should all be in the same document). Students can find the link to submit their
written assignment by clicking the “Written Assignment” folder in the course
Blackboard. Students may not submit the assignment via email. Students may not cut and
paste essays into the assignment window – the assignment must be uploaded as a Word
document and must be submitted as one file attachment. Do not upload more than one
written assignment document. The system will only allow you to select and submit one
file, so make sure that file is the combined cover page, paper, and bibliography.
Assignments uploaded in any format other than Word.doc, such as PDF, RTF, ZIP, etc.,
will automatically receive an overall assignment score of zero. Assignments submitted
only via email will automatically receive a zero as will assignments submitted outside of
Safe Assign. In summary, you must submit your paper:
1. As one complete paper (no separate submissions of title pages or bibliographies).
2. In Word format (no zip files, PDF, RTF, or other forms of submission).
3. As an uploaded document from your computer; with the box checked for your
agreement to submit your paper to the Global Reference database.
4. Your written assignment is due NO LATER than 11:59 p.m., June 23, 2024.
Absolutely NO later paper submissions will be accepted.
You should note that the SafeAssign assignment folder closes precisely at 11:59 p.m. Submissions
submitted at 11:59.1 will be rejected by the system, registered as a late submission, and result in an
assignment score of zero.
The written assignment will be used to access the Critical Thinking and Communication Skills
Learning Outcome core curriculum requirements of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
(THECB). A copy of the assessment rubric designed to satisfy THECB requirements is provided by
clicking on the assignment in Blackboard. Once you click on the actual assignment, you will be able to
review the rubric. The rubric used to grade the assignment is based on a 100-point scale. The rubric can
be found under the “Resources” folder in Blackboard.
Write a three-to-five-page essay containing the following:
1. An introductory paragraph. Your introductory paragraph should introduce three distinct topics
you found most interesting this semester, and a statement about a contemporary political problem and
solution you will be discussing at the conclusion of the paper.
2. Body of the paper. The three topics you identify and discuss must be distinct (civil rights, civil
liberties, federalism, etc.). You may not discuss topics covered in POLS 2301 (i.e., the media, parties,
interest groups, elections), or any material contained in Module 4 (Texas Constitution and government).
One of the three distinct topics you discuss must be one of the three branches of U. S. government
(legislative, executive, judicial). The contemporary political problem and solution you present may but is
not required to be related to material specifically covered in POLS 2302.
3. Citations and specific academic information gained from the course must be provided in both
the body of the text and in the Works Cited section at the conclusion of the paper. Note that your three
subject areas must be distinct. In other words, you cannot write on three cases studied in civil rights.
Rather, one topic may be civil rights and various cases examined in the subject area may be used to
communicate your knowledge of the topic.
An example of a proper in-text citation is: (Davis, p. 18, 2017). An example of a proper citation
in your Works Cited page:
Davis, Terri and James P. Nelson, The Texas Constitution: The People, History, and Government of the
Lone Star State, Lamar Literary Press, 2017.
An example of a proper in-text citation of a course video or course lecture is: (Davis,
“Federalism,” 2024). An example of a proper citation in your Works Cited page:
Davis, Terri, “Federalism,” Lamar University, Spring 2024.
If you are using internet citations, you must include the FULL URL, title, author (if available) and
access date. Example of in-text citation: Brown v. Board of Education (1954). Example of Works Cited
citation: Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U. S. 483 (1954), https://www.oyez.org/cases/1940-
1955/347us483 (accessed date).
NOTE: All Supreme Court case names must be italicized or underlined in the body of your paper
and in Works Cited.
4. Identify a contemporary political problem and construct and communicate a solution to the
problem you identify. Make sure to develop and express your solution in the form of an argument that is
supported by well-documented and properly cited facts and data.
5. Additional Information:
A good paper will have at least 3-5 scholarly sources in addition to the course
textbook(s) and course videos. Well-written papers tend to rely on cited course materials
to discuss the three required topics and outside scholarly journals and government
websites when discussing the identified contemporary problem/solution. Papers that do
not include in-text citations of sources and/or a Works Cited section will receive an
automatic grade of zero and recorded as plagiarized.
Correct grammar, capitalization, punctuation, complete sentences, and citation of your
sources is required. Include textbook readings with page numbers (or chapter headings
and subheadings for digital textbooks without page numbers) and textbook citation;
lectures or video instruction (title and presenter/author of the video); and outside
scholarly research must be included in your assignment.
Wikipedia, encyclopedias, dictionaries, SparkNotes, and other similar sources are not
allowed and will result in an assignment score of zero (see below). Failure to submit the
assignment by the deadline will result in a grade of zero for the overall written
assignment grade. Failure to provide a cover page, in-text citations, and Works Cited will
result in an overall assignment score of zero.
The paper must be a minimum of three complete pages. A score of zero will be recorded
for papers submitted with less than three complete pages. A partial third page, regardless
of length, does not constitute a full, complete page.
Make sure to double space throughout the paper, including between paragraphs, and to
use 12-point font. The professor will re-paginate papers submitted without proper double
spacing and 12-point font to determine if the paper meets the assignment page
requirements. An automatic deduction of 15 points will be assigned if the professor is
required to repaginate a paper.
Your written assignment should be typed and double spaced with 12-point font and one-inch margins
top, bottom, and side. Political Science as a field has adopted the APSA Manual of Style; however, you
are free to use the citation style adopted by your major department or the style used in your English
composition courses (MLA or other style). Regardless of citation style, all sources must be properly,
thoroughly, and consistently cited. When citing a URL, you must have the full URL, title, author, date of
publication, and access date. Careful attention to grammar, spelling, and the mechanics of presentation is
expected. Wikipedia is not a reliable source of information. Any citation of Wikipedia, Dictionary.com
(or any Dictionary related website), E-Encyclopedia (or any Encyclopedia website), american-
historama.org, Ask.com, bensguide.gpo.gov, biography.com, Cliff Notes,
Collegeamericangovernment.org, ConstitutionalCenter.org, Constitutionfacts.com,
Constitutionlaws.com, Constitutionus.com, Constitutionweekusa.com, gunlaws.com, history.com,
judiciallearningcenter.org, infoplease.com, legaldictionary.net, legallanguage.com,
nationalparalegal.edu, presidentialsystem.org, procon.org, Quimbee.com, quotationspage.com,
Reference.com, scholastic.com, Shmoop.com, Socialstudieshelp.com, Softschools.com, Spark Notes,
Study.com, thepoliticalguide.com, thoughtco.com, totallyhistory.com, USA.gov, USconstitution.net,
UShistory.org, UShistoryscene.com, USlegal.com, The Bible, Vocabulary.com, youtube.com, Major
Motion Pictures/Netflix Shows or TV series, Book Reviews, or anything similar in a term paper or
other assignment in this course will result in an automatic score of 0 (zero) on the assignment.
Scholarly resources would include journal articles, books, and news organization websites.
Scholarly sources are required for this paper, and you need to cite 3-5 scholarly sources in
addition to your textbook and lectures. The information gained through scholarly sources must
support the points made and discussed in your paper.
Carefully read the Course Management Policies, “Academic Honesty Statement” for additional
guidelines for your written assignments. Any cut and paste, plagiarized, or Wiki cited posts or papers
will result in an automatic grade of zero for the overall assignment and possible expulsion from the course
and Lamar University. NO late papers will be accepted, this includes papers posted a second or more
late. Students have ONLY one chance to upload papers to Safe Assign and the version that is uploaded is
the version that will be graded.
The term written assignment scores for students will be posted to the course Blackboard gradebook
after the student has completed and submitted all four required course examinations.
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
TOPICS: Federalism, checks and balances and the Judicial Branch
