Paper Guidelines
Per the syllabus, you are required to submit a comparative paper worth 15% of your grade. As part of the paper you are required to analyzes the similarities and differences between the US government and another country’s government system. It is your choice which country you would like to compare. This should include (if applicable):
Where does executive power lie and how much influence does this branch have?
What are the legislative bodies? How do they differ from the U.S. legislative branch?
Do they have a judiciary branch that adheres to and administers the supreme law of the land?
What political parties represent the people (if applicable), i.e. are they a two party system, multiparty, etc.? How does this work compared to the two party system in the U.S.
This is by no means limited to other democratic/republican systems. You may dive into how an authoritarian regime, a constitutional monarchy, absolute monarchy, or how any other system works compared to the U.S. If you are worried about your choice or need some guidance, please reach out to me.
Paper Structure
The paper should be:
Submitted as a Word Doc (reach out to me if this is not a possibility)
2-3 pages in length
Double-spaced
12-point & Times New Roman font
1-inch margins
Properly cited in whatever style you prefer
I use Chicago Manual of Style, for reference, but I am not picky. You are free to choose what is most comfortable for you.
It should include:
Name and Date in the header
A title (centered, in bold)
An introduction outlining the country/system you are exploring
Body that touches upon what is listed under guidelines
A conclusion that wraps things up
Bibliography of sources cited (not part of the 2-3 page count)
Grading
You will be graded based on:
Following the paper structure outlined above (20 points)
This one is easy, if you follow the structure you will get all points 🙂
The accuracy/relevance of the information you provide based on the guidelines (60 points)
Citation and bibliography (20 points)
This one is also easy; if you cite all work that is not yours and provide a bibliography, you will get all of the points 🙂
Plagiarism
When you submit you paper it will automatically be run through “turnitin” to check for plagiarism, so please cite appropriately and do not copy/paste from other sources. I am here to help when/if you need it, so please do not resort to cheating.