Temple College
GOVT 2301
Spring, 1999
INSTRUCTIONS FOR ON-LINE DISCUSSION FORUMS
This assignment is worth 200 points or 33% of your overall course grade. Read and
follow the instructions below fully.
General:
 Each student will choose one discussion topic (conversation thread).
 Each student will write one (4-6 pages) persuasive essay (position paper) - worth 100
points.
 Each student will write five (1-2 pages) follow-up essays (responses/rebuttals) - 20
points each/100 points total.
 See calendar below for due dates.
Notes on 4-6 page position paper:
 Your essay should be 4-6 pages, double-spaced. You MUST write your essay in
MICROSOFT WORD97 (do NOT use any other word processing software such as
WordPerfect). This is particularly important for students who may want to work at their
homes or offices. The MICROSOFT WORD97 software is available in all of the open
labs at Temple College. WORD97 is very easy to use, however, if you are
accustomed to some other software or you are otherwise unfamiliar with WORD97,
you should ask a lab assistant to help you. They are employed to answer your
questions about the programs installed on the PCs in the labs. The instructor will NOT
accept handwritten or typed hard copies of essays for credit.
 You should post your essay to the message board of the appropriate on-line forum
(http://forums.delphi.com/m/main.asp?sigdir=wfeaginjr or http://www.delphi.com/wfeaginjr and click
on the link to “American Politics Message Board”) as an attachment to a cover message by
the due date. Early in the semester we will hold a class session in a computer lab so
the instructor can show you how to do this. The cover message should indicate your
name, the discussion topic, and the position you are arguing (yes or no).
 All position papers should be posted to the message board so that everyone can read
them. Again, the instructor will NOT accept handwritten or typed hard copies of your
essays for credit.

This assignment will require that students do some RESEARCH on their topics. All of
the discussion topics for this assignment have been debated in numerous public
forums, in both print and broadcast media. Students should be able to find articles
dealing with their topics in newspapers or newsmagazines, scholarly or opinion
journals, books, transcripts of television or radio public affairs programs, Internet
sources, etc. In other words, the instructor has NOT chosen obscure topics. There is
plenty of information available on all of the discussion topics. PLEASE do not tell the
instructor the day before your work is due that “you could not find anything on your
topic.” A good way to start your research might be, depending on your topic, to read
the appropriate chapter(s) in your AMERICAN GOVERNMENT or TEXAS GOVERNMENT
textbooks. Check the sources that the authors cite. Then, check the sources cited by
those articles or books and so on. You do not have to spend hours scanning through
periodical indexes or doing Internet searches to complete your research.

Each discussion topic has a set of specific instructions. Read the instructions
carefully BEFORE you begin your work. If you have questions or are unsure about
what is expected of you, you must ask! The instructor does not have the special ability
to glean your questions from a confused look on your face.

The specific instructions for each discussion topic contain a set of questions that you
may use to help you organize your thoughts before you begin your work. However,
when you write your essay do NOT simply list answers to the questions in a 1, 2, 3, ....
fashion. Incorporate answers to appropriate questions into a unified and wellorganized essay. Your essay should have a main point (thesis) which holds together
an introduction, body, and conclusion. In other words, your essay should be THESISCONTROLLED.

You should clearly state your arguments and develop a logical defense of your
arguments. In a position paper, you should try to persuade your readers why your
position should be believed. Whichever position you choose (yes or no), your essay
should reflect a good understanding of the facts, as well as cogent and thoughtful
reasoning. You should try to avoid the logical fallacies we discussed in class.

Your essay should be thorough, yet concise. This is one of the biggest challenges
of this assignment. You should write enough to present your position thoroughly, but
avoid extraneous or superfluous details.

Do NOT limit yourself to answering only the questions the instructor has presented
for your topic. Ask and, of course, answer your own questions.
Notes on rebuttals/responses:
 The response/rebuttal essays are designed to give you the opportunity to develop the
arguments you made in your position papers by responding to arguments made by the
opposing side or by answering specific questions posed to you. The purpose of this
part of the assignment is to promote a dialogue among students assigned to the topic.
 These essays should be 1-2 pages, double-spaced.
 These essays should be written in WORD97 and posted to the message board of the
appropriate discussion forum as an attachment to a cover message.
 You may clarify, add to, or develop arguments you made in your position papers. You
may critique arguments made by students arguing the opposing position. You may
pose questions for the other side to answer.
 You should respond to any questions posed to you by the other side in these essays.
Calendar:
 You have 8 weeks (9 weeks including Spring Break) to research, write and post your
4-6 page position paper. The paper must be posted to on-line forum by March 20,
12:00pm (noon).
 1st 1-page rebuttal/response must be posted by March 27, 12:00pm.
 2nd 1-page rebuttal/response must be posted by April 3, 12:00pm.
 3rd 1-page rebuttal/response must be posted by April 10, 12:00pm.
 4th 1-page rebuttal/response must be posted by April 17, 12:00pm.
 5th 1-page rebuttal/response must be posted by April 24, 12:00pm.
Miscellaneous:
 The instructor expects that each student will engage the discussions vigorously and
will meet the high standards of college-level discourse. Students are expected to be
courteous and respectful of their peers and to use language acceptable in a civilized
society. Students who violate these protocols will be banned from further participation
in the discussion forums.
 Questions about this assignment should be posted to Instructions and Q&A thread in
on-line forum. Answers to all questions will be posted to the Instructions and Q&A
thread.

Each discussion topic is presented in the form of a general discussion question that
can be answered either affirmatively or negatively (yes or no). Each student will be
permitted to choose her/his topic and which side of the debate she/he will argue. The
instructor will post a sign up sheet in Room 119 at 8:00am on January 25. Each
student should indicate his/her choices by signing up on this form. The instructor will
not accept choices in any other way. The size of the discussion groups will be limited.
Students will be assigned to topics on a first-come/first-serve basis.

You may use any source you like [texts, news articles, journal articles, Internet
sources, etc.] to expand and support your arguments. However, you should CITE any
sources that you use. Use any citation style you prefer, but be consistent
throughout. If you are uncertain when citations are appropriate, consult the instructor!!
[See note on plagiarism below.] You should list your sources on a separate page
(include a bibliography).

Do NOT cite editorials or opinion articles as factual evidence to support your
arguments. For example, let’s say your assignment is to argue that communities
should have the authority to prohibit the sale of rock/rap recordings that contain lyrics
that are obscene or are considered offensive to community standards. You include
the following citation in your essay:
According to Art Carnal, “vulgar or obscene lyrics corrupt the minds
of young people by encouraging them to undertake illegal or immoral
actions” [Carnal, 1998: 21].
[not an actual quote]
This quote would represent insufficient evidence. Why should your reader believe that
some rock/rap lyrics promote anti-social behavior? Certainly, we should not accept
Carnal’s opinion as fact. You may include a quote such as the one above in your
essay, but you should bear in mind that it represents one person’s opinion – it is not
factual evidence.
On the other hand, here is an example of acceptable evidence:
The FBI reports that, in 1997, at least 1,200 juvenile crimes (cases in
which the perpetrator could be identified), including 127 murders, 213
rapes and sexual assaults, and 351 arsons, were associated with
“lyrics that incite listeners to commit unlawful acts” [FBI, 1998: 873].
The association between lyrics and the criminal activity was
established by interviews with the perpetrators.
[not an actual quote]

Be specific in your discussion. Provide examples to illustrate your points, but do
NOT just repeat what you have read or string together quotes.

This is a WRITING assignment. Therefore, you will be graded on composition:
grammar, spelling, usage, organization, sentence and paragraph construction, etc.
Remember that you have the opportunity to be an important “opinion-shaper.” It is
very difficult for a reader to respect the opinions of someone whose essay is littered
with misspelled words, sentence fragments, run-on sentences, colloquialisms, etc.
Use the spelling and grammar check tools in WORD97 to identify problems. [Bear in
mind that these tools are not fail-safe. They identify many, but not all errors.]

VERY IMPORTANT!! Avoid plagiarism! Plagiarism is the act of taking words,
sentences, paragraphs or ideas from another person’s work and passing it off as
one’s own. This is a SEVERE VIOLATION of academic integrity and is subject to
disciplinary action under the College’s policy. Common forms of plagiarism include:
(1) taking passages from another person’s writings, unchanged, and passing it off as
one’s own work [whether the original author has knowledge of this or not]; (2) taking a
passage from another person’s writings, changing a word here or there, and passing it
off as one’s own work; (3) turning in a paper that consists, partially or wholly, of
paraphrases of another person’s writings without proper citations; and (4) attempting
to pass off another person’s ideas as one’s own. [With citations, you avoid plagiarism,
but the paper would still lack any originality and would, therefore, merit a low score.
So generally, avoid writing a paper that consists mainly of quotes or paraphrases of
someone else’s work.] This list is not exhaustive of the various forms of plagiarism. If
you are unsure whether you have written constitutes plagiarism, please consult the
instructor. The main point to remember is this: the purpose of this essay is to get
YOU to thoughtfully consider and discuss the discussion topic. The instructor is
interested in what you think about these issues - NOT whether you can report what
others think!
List of Topics:

The discussion topics are listed below. Detailed instructions for each topic can be
obtained in the discussion forum under the appropriate topic
(http://forums.delphi.com/m/main.asp?sigdir=wfeaginjr or http://www.delphi.com/wfeaginjr and
click on the link to “American Politics Message Board”).

Note that each question can be answered affirmatively or negatively (yes or no).
You should decide which topic interests you and which side you want to argue as soon
as possible. The sign-up sheet will be posted in Room 119 on Monday January 25 at
8:00am. Students will be assigned to topics on a first-come/first-serve basis.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Do political campaigns inform voters?
Do PACs undermine democracy?
Is public discourse degrading?
Does the government regulate too much?
Will mandatory sentencing reduce crime?
Is the death penalty justifiable?
Should hate speech be a crime?
Is welfare reform succeeding?
Should criminal prosecutors have the authority to reduce the charges or ask the
court to impose a lighter sentence against one defendant in exchange for
testimony against another defendant?
10. Do the states know best?
11. Must America be a world leader?
12. Should we impose more limitations on immigration?
13. Should the Texas legislature repeal laws which create crimes without victims?
14. Should the independent counsel act be extended?
15. Should the local school district require students to take a course in traditional
morals and ethics in order to graduate?
BASIS FOR SCORING ESSAYS (POSITION PAPERS)
SCORING:
Evaluation of material/substance..........60%
Organization/overall effectiveness........30%
Composition, style, and usage..............10%
Keep in mind that these three criteria are NOT entirely separate or unrelated. In
other words, composition and usage affect the organization and overall
effectiveness of your essay, and these, in turn, affect your ability to demonstrate
your understanding of major themes and concepts.
Points
Awarded
Comments applying to
most essays
90-100
The essay is excellent in most respects. Shows extensive thought and
consideration of important themes and concepts. Insightful, relevant conclusions
drawn which are supported with facts or data. Thoroughly analyzed of problem or
issue. Demonstrates mastery of basic ideas. Writing style is interesting and
readable with a minimal number of grammar and spelling errors or typos [may be
overlooked]. The instructor would appreciate your permission to use your essay
as an example of “How to Write an Essay” for reference by other students.
80-89
Overall, a good essay, but perhaps flawed by a failure to convey major thrusts
adequately. Usually, this happens when the student assumes “the instructor will
know what I mean.” Needs further elaboration or explanation. May reach
thoughtful conclusions but offer little supporting evidence; conclusions may lack
sharp focus. May be tainted by grammar errors, minor organization problems, or
poor choice of words (poor usage).
70-79
Adequately done for a paper of this type, but there are notable shortcomings in
style, organization, or emphasis. Conclusions may be logically inconsistent
based on supporting evidence provided. May be too descriptive or fail to draw
conclusions entirely. Insufficient analysis of basic problem or issue provided.
May draw too much on subjective opinions without empirical support or validation.
60-69
Evidences too little preparation, too little organization, or failure to fulfill basic
purposes of assignment. There are too many signs of struggle with spelling,
grammar, and general usage. Writing style is very difficult to understand.
Sentences or paragraphs make little sense. You should probably consult with the
instructor.
0-60
Your essay suffers from a great many problems with only minimal saving graces.
Reflects a complete lack of preparation. You need to evaluate your effort and
your understanding of basic themes/concepts.
[adapted from Dr. Harold Whittington]