Texas Government

Students must complete a current event assignment, at least 750 words in length, consisting of a summary and analysis of a current event having to do with Texas government and/or politics. In order to be eligible for this assignment, the issue must be reported during the time-frame of the course. You must cite your references (news story that is published during the time-frame of the course, as well as any other sources from which you use information in the writing assignment). A minimum of three sources (to include the current event news article) must be used for this assignment. Full bibliographic information for each of the references that is cited in the text of the paper must be included in a works cited page at the end of the assignment.

The current event assignment must be formatted according to MLA style, for papers with no title page (see the following link to access an online resource for MLA style: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/08/). In addition, please use Courier New 12 point as the paper’s font, and ensure the assignment is double-spaced.

Following are acceptable news sources from which to retrieve the current event story (note that television is not an acceptable news source for this assignment): (1) Newspaper, (2) Magazine, (3) News Network Internet Site. Additional resources used for the assignment can can be from a broader range of academic publications, to include books and journal articles, as well as publications from governmental, educational, and non-profit entities.

Each current event assignment should contain the following elements:

Provide a thorough, but brief, summary of the political issue. Students can develop an understanding of the issue by reading resources uncovered during research for the assignment. The information provided in the summary will lay the foundation for the student’s reaction and response (analysis) of the political issue. Be sure to properly cite within the text (according to MLA style) any information obtained from a source. Citations must be provided, even for paraphrased information. Students must properly report (cite) information from resources in order to receive a passing grade for the assignment.
Present your perspective on the political issue. Think critically about the topic discussed in the articles/resources uncovered during research and clearly express your thoughts about it in writing. Consider the eight standards for critical thinking (Paul and Elder, 2103): clarity, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth, logic, and fairness. Ask questions, such as
How can I validate the accuracy of my statement?
How is this information relevant?
How does my conclusion address the complexities of the issue?
What is another interpretation or viewpoint of the issue?
Does my conclusion follow from the data and/or statements I have provided?
When grading for the above required elements, the following will be taken into consideration and will differentiate the quality of student work:

Critical Thinking Skills: the extent to which you have engaged in critical thinking, innovation, and inquiry of a political issue, and have demonstrated analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of information related to the political issue;
Communication Skills: the extent to which you have effectively expressed ideas in writing;
Personal Responsibility: the ability you have to develop opinions related to a political topic, and recognize the consequences of those choices and decisions;
Social Responsibility: the ability you have to demonstrate civic responsibility and engagement by developing an understanding and perspective of a political issue that affects regional, national, and potentially global communities.

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Discipline: Texas Government